05Dragon
by Yusei
Summary: AU. Yusei and Jack, after years of searching, find the legendary Z-ONE, a utopia for all. However, there are other forces after the two and this paradise, ready to invade and spark an all-out war against the other world. Title & summary in progress.
1. Desert Eden

**Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's - 05-Dragon**

by Yusei

_**Summary - **"AU. _Yusei and Jack, after years of searching, find the legendary Z-ONE, a utopia for all. However, there are other forces after the two and this paradise, ready to invade and spark an all-out war against the other world_"._

_**Disclaimer – **__I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's or any of the characters._

_**A/N – **__I know I shouldn't be posting a new fic while there are so many that are in need of updating, but this is one that's been on my mind since Christmas when a friend brought me the first volume of the 07-Ghost manga. Having seen the anime already, I felt determined to write something with a similar feel, and while ther eare parallels between this and that series, this does veer off on its own path. The title is a temporary one while I try to think of something better and have looked into small elements of the Bible to help create something that will become its own quickly. Hope you enjoy. Please read and review._

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><p>The sun beat down with extra intensity, carving a path of burning light between the canyon walls; the desert wasn't the best place to be on the day with a cloudless sky. Nevertheless, two young men staggered forward, ignoring common sense and the word that had spread through town just mere days before, warning of a potential heat-wave. The man in front sported spiked blonde hair, dressed in a sleeveless black shirt and white trousers, a pale hooded shirt hanging around his waist. A pasty hand rose to block the sun from his sharp violet eyes, but the thin trench of shadows did nothing to aid the rest of his body; sweat clinging to his forehead, back and arms, Behind him was a sole companion, a shorter figure with black hair decorated with blonde highlights running through a few of the rising spikes either side of his head; also sporting a black sleeveless shirt, although his marked with a crimson pattern across the front, arms spreading over his shoulders and around his waist, onto the back. Joining the shirt were grey trousers, orange gems implanted over his knees, similar to those fastened to the navy blue jacket wrapped around his hips, hanging limply underneath a rucksack patting his back with each tiring step. Brown boots encased the throbbing feet, protests and pleas for a rest ignored by his head; overheating and swimming in perspiration.<p>

Ahead of him, the blonde did slow to a halt, stretching his back until a series of clicks, like those of a machine, ran up his spine. Against the mounting aspects of the journey against them, the sounds acted as confirmation that his stretching worked, elevating the corners of his mouth into a brief smile. That look had dissipated by the time he turned his head to find his lagging partner, his hands rose from hanging limply either side of him to seize the wide straps of the bag over his shoulders.

"You hanging in there?" the blonde asked, concern intertwined with the tone.

The darker-haired traveller remained silent until he paused just a step behind the blonde, lifting his eyes to the pale face and nodded, releasing a ragged breath to suggest otherwise. The heavy nature of the exhale prompted the smile to reverse into a frown, the blonde twisting his body to half-face the exhausted comrade, violet eyes scanning his reddening body; red blood cells rushing to the inside of his skin in a vain attempt of releasing heat.

"Why don't we just rest for a bit?" the blonde suggested. His long finger moved in the direction of the canyon's edge, to a thin strip of shadows awaited. "It's not enough to hide from the sun completely, but we can at least get out heads somewhere cooler. I'm getting a headache".

"You go, I'll wait here" the dark-haired traveller responded, the manner of his speech suggesting a loyalty to their travel overriding a need to restore his potentials.

That very ambience about the words continued the frown of the blonde, who opened up his pale hand to the shorter man, his skin somewhat tanner than the man who had taken charge of the voyage.

"Then I'll have a quick sip and we'll carry on" he affirmed.

"I thought you were getting a headache from the sun" the other questioned, baffled by his friend's sudden transformation.

"Not important" the blonde insisted. "I'm not going to lay in partial shade while you stand out here and burn yourself. We may as well continue on as quickly as we can".

The carrier removed a canteen from the sack hanging over his back, handing it to the blonde, who worked quickly to twist the head off the container and tip a small amount of sparkling water into the empty top. His eyes swam amongst the liquid longingly; how he'd rather drift away in a cool river; no such luck in this journey. The most recent thing to a river they had seen was the town's fountain two days ago - the source of their current store. His eyes dove into the canteen, assessing what remained, then followed with a disheartened sigh.

"Not much left now…" he murmured. "I don't think we're going to last much longer like this".

"We should have packed more. Let's head back to the town, Jack" the shorter responded.

"No" the blonde, Jack, barked quickly without thinking. His tone softened once he realised what had ejected itself from his throat. "It's pointless to go back now… it's too far, we've come too far. I can't go back to somewhere like there now, I don't return".

The dark-haired companion frowned at Jack's account, understanding there was more than simply one level to what his friend was saying. He agreed on one level, but on the surface meaning, there was little choice. It was return or die.

"We won't make it if we carry on with such little water left" he sighed.

"Maybe, but at least we'll have escaped the government bastards" Jack scowled. "Tell me, Yusei, would you rather die a free man? Or under one of those shells they dropped on our homes?"

Yusei watched Jack with an uncomfortable look; Jack would have predicted what his answer would have been. They shared the same background, essentially the same mindset and heart, they worked together and pushed on just to escape. Just to live.

"Fine…" he murmured. "But nothing will be achieved if we die. Our parents' memories will be wasted on corpses that will be buried under the sand, never discovered".

Jack's face twitched at the consequences of Yusei's scenario; dying and rotting in the middle of nowhere under the unusual heat was the last thing he planned to do. His eyes returned to the miniature pool, pressing the plastic curve between his dried and cracking lips to slide the liquid down his throat. Slowly, savouring the taste despite the crystal water warming up. Once the drink poured through his oesophagus, Jack released a satisfied grunt, screwing the lid back onto the canteen before temptation lured him into its trap, then presented the plastic cylinder to Yusei. Ignoring the contents of the case, Yusei removed it from Jack's hand, leaning forward and pushing the container inside the backpack, managing to drag the zip along its destined path without so much as looking over his shoulder or moving the sack at all. It was an unnecessary skill, but one he held anyway.

Once the replacement of the canister was complete, Jack turned his back on Yusei, exposing small circles of sweat that clung to his black shirt around his collar and shoulders; Yusei had no reason to complain, the same was happening along the seams of his shirt. The two resumed their exhausted trek, moving towards the distant mouth of the canyon, no doubt opening up a wasteland or desert that would all but sign their names onto Death's contract. They had come prepared, but the heat had attacked with horrendous force; they hadn't expected this.

One foot forward, clapping the stony path buried underneath the sandy sea, another ahead. A rhythm developed, heavy breaths, grunts and footsteps, the pair dragging themselves towards the forever fleeting light waiting at the end of the tunnel; the mouth underneath the sun.

Out of sight, Yusei pressed his right hand against the top-right of his head, clutching it as though his brain were trying to fight its way out, pounding against his skull and the flesh encasing them both. A quick wince accompanied the vain attempt to calm the thumping, the pain that joined as though someone had driven a blade through him; even a second was enough for Jack to pick up on his pain without even turning back.

"We should rest" he stated, much more firmly than before.

"No" Yusei protested somewhat weaker in voice. "It's not far now, let's just get to the end of this canyon".

Jack frowned, unimpressed by Yusei's insistence to continue despite his internal suffering; prepared to face being condemned to death. Reluctantly, he proceeded, leading his partner further from the estimated direction that civilisation lied and deeper into the parched wilderness surrounding them, protecting them from followers.

For a short time longer, they continued down the fixed path, opening up into a much wider scene; sand and sky melding into one in the centre of the horizon; trying to remind Jack cruelly of the shore that resembled a beach from home. The blonde scowled; there was no sign of escape. They would die and their souls dragged to Hell. Yusei staggered out from the canyon mouth behind him, peering past the blonde's tall body painted red with exhausted, azure eyes heavy with desolation; acceptance that fate had given up on them. The forsaken dark-haired sighed heavily, feeling the dark circles under his eyes grow heavier and then raised them as best he could to Jack's flushed face staring in horror at the scene ahead of them.

"We won't make it" he whispered.

Jack clenched his jaws and fists, determined not to surrender himself as easily as his ally, searching for any sign of hope. Nearby, he recognised a rocky floor emerging from the desert sand. He charged towards it, leaving Yusei behind, who took a moment to register exactly what Jack was doing; jumping in the evaporating hope of catching a red string that could save them both from Death's skeleton hands, twitching in anticipation to guide them into the black beyond. Jack paid his friend's sceptic mind no attention and raced only forward, hoping to grasp a true escape, a miracle buried underneath the sand of Earth's Hell. The soles of his shoes clapped the rock and froze before leaping into the air and plunging into the skeletal embrace below. Beyond it, however, there was hope.

Yusei approach his paralysed friend slowly, less eager to learn what his friend had failed to discover and paced next to Jack, who still had yet to make a movement. His eyes fell to the site below that had captured his friend and gasped; eyes wide. There, beyond more sand, but not out of reach, was an immense structure; a white castle or palace - a sign of life and a chance. Someone inside could be their saviour or their slayer.

"This is it" Jack breathed, managing to finally speak. "We've found it. Z-ONE".

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><p><strong>01-Desert Eden<strong>

It was late afternoon, close to dusk, when Jack estimated that a fall from the cliff-side road would only harm not kill. The two had travelled down the side of the raised ground through a narrow path carved into the rock face, allowing them to crawl to their destination; the legendary Z-ONE. Jack glanced over his shoulder, finding Yusei just behind him, his fringe with several strands hanging loose and out of place; not just fatigue, but his condition that weakened him. Jack frowned, setting his eyes ahead; he worried for Yusei, regardless of how the other shunned the strange condition that ailed him.

"_I can't believe we made it" Jack gasped in awe._

_Yusei paused by Jack, peeling his eyes from the white secret buried in the desert sand and to the pale blonde, noticing his smile of relief and pride; he had finally discovered what he had been seeking all his life. It had been years ago during Jack's childhood that his mother would read his stories about such a place; where everyone was accepted, no-one would be prosecuted for being different, there was no such thing as inequality. Ruled by the five divinities, the people there could live in true harmony the likes of which had never been seen elsewhere in the world. The blonde woman's blue eyes shimmered as Jack took in the stories with a wide smile and young eyes glistening with hope and admiration for the place. Every night he would swear they would go; his mother and his father either side, and find the place so that they could experience this perfect peace. She would smile and lay her hand on his head, mutter him a few words about how she cared for him and hoped they could one day fulfil that wish, kiss his goodnight and watch him drift off to sleep._

_A slight guilt settled in the pit of Jack's heart; his parents were no longer alive, killed in the Reverse that left him alone in the world. He had managed to achieve what he desired as a child, but his parents had never been able to find the district before they departed from the world. Yusei's eyes were drawn back to the white utopia; then froze. Through the structure, a surge of power slammed into him, piercing his head like a dagger and ripped through. His teeth clenched and hands pressed either side of his head, drawing Jack's attention._

"_Yusei, what's wrong?" he asked, on the brink of panic by the severity of the episode. "Is it another one of your headaches? Why could it be so strong to begin with?"_

_Yusei was deaf to Jack's voice, his eyes wide as he struggled to deal with the pain, grunting and moaning, taking sharp breaths to deal with the surge pounding through his head. A flash removed the scene from his sight, replaced it with white where a shape appeared in the distance. Yusei didn't have to move before he experienced a mental close-up of the shape, finding a human eye exposed close to a cross in the greyed mask that concealed its face. The vision was something Yusei hadn't experienced before, its sudden happening pushed a weak cry out of him and dropped his body onto his knees, back curved as his blind eyes faced the rocky ground beneath him, entire body trembling._

"_Yusei!" Jack yelled, dropping onto one knee beside his friend. "Yusei, say something!"_

_The pain began to die away, leaving Yusei with a fuzzy sense of what was happening, his head still spun as an aftertaste of the extreme episode. His hands dropped from his head and against the ground. The change did little to calm Jack, although shed light on the calming state of his friend, leading to a relieved sigh from his tense throat._

"_Yusei, are you alright?" he asked._

_Yusei lifted his head slowly, eyes half-open as he struggled to regain his senses, turning to see Jack watching him attentively. He offered a dizzy smile and nodded. Jack, however, had yet to be convinced by Yusei's judgement and slipped a hand under his armpit, helping him from the ground and keeping his hand wrapped around Yusei's upper arm to avoid losing him over the edge. Yusei pressed his hand over his right eye, fingers moving into his hair and disappeared, looking back to the site that had sparked the strange image._

"_A vision…" he whispered._

"_What?" Jack breathed._

"_I had a vision" Yusei repeated. "But why did I have one now? I've never experienced one before"._

"_Do you think that was what caused the pain to be so serious?" Jack suggested._

"_Maybe" Yusei mumbled. Automatically, his hand dropped and his dazed eyes returned to the sight of their discovery. "Right now, we should focus on getting there. We'll be safe to ponder what that was all about on the other side of those walls"._

Jack had been reluctant to go with the plan, but Yusei did have a point. The burst of pain that almost floored him had Jack still worried, though. Yusei had suffered episodes of large headaches that could render him immobile since they departed from the ruins of their homes in search of the legendary Z-ONE; a place safe from the government who were attacking areas surrounding their city in a purge of unfit people; the Reverse. Worse, their influence had spread and other areas of the country were suffering Reverses of their own. The screams and whistles of people and shells haunted Jack at night still, the dreams of seeing corpses and severed limbs, streets soaked in blood and buildings reduced to rubble; people trapped and crying for help, others staying by their loved ones as they breathed their last. So many thousands perished in the attacks, an official number had yet to be revealed, ignored by the government in a vain attempt to make their shelling seem less inhumane. Several waves had swept over what was once called Satellite, reduced now to S-ZERO, keeping in theme with the supposedly mythical Z-ONE. There were rumours that the government were seeking out the paradise in hiding, many of those people and more relinquished belief that such a place could exist - that it was a fairytale to give kids hope and aim one day to make it a reality.

He knew better; it was all truth. Whether the government were aware of it and any attempt to seek it out was a different matter.

The soles of Jack's dark shoes clapped the ground, putting him level with the foundations of the hidden district, carefully placed deep in the desert where travel was rare and on the upper level of the sandy plain, keeping clear of the cliff-edge. No-one had searched the desert, satellites were ignorant of the area. Nobody could have guessed the middle of nowhere, left in belief it was clear, would be the home to the fabled place. It was difficult to think that he was truly examining its outer shell with his eyes, outside his imagination, surpassing all his dreams and interpretations over the years; its glistening walls almost reflected the sunlight away, like an illusion that they were the source of light.

Another clap informed Jack that Yusei had joined him on the ground and moved beside him, standing a whole head underneath the blonde while joining him in revelling in the sight of the fruits of their journey.

"It's difficult to imagine that it's real after so long" he mumbled.

"Yeah" Jack added. "But we're here, we're seeing it for ourselves. It means that our parents didn't die pointless deaths".

Yusei turned his head to the blonde. "You're thinking about your mother, aren't you?"

Jack nodded solemnly; his mother was the most caring woman he knew - the way she should have been - yet she went beyond all limits when it came to acting a parent; she was the perfect mother. She didn't deserve to die in the Reverse, so violently. He clenched his fist, remembering the times that he and Yusei spent after their parents were wiped out, recalling the orange-haired boy that would stand with them, grinning mischievously, always wishing to see an adventure or help someone just to take his mind from his own suffering. Not seen since the last Reverse two years ago, when they abandoned Satellite.

"Do you think he's still alive?" Jack asked.

Yusei glanced at his friend, taking a moment to recall the smiling redhead whose face would shine endlessly, even in the midst of a war zone. His eyes moved back to the scene ahead, narrowed solemnly.

"I wish" he breathed.

Jack watched the downcast face of his companion; it wasn't like Yusei to count people out, especially not someone who had lived through so much destruction and amongst so much death. He looked away, assuming the fatigue from the journey and the bizarre episode from earlier had gotten to Yusei; it had been a strange day after all, he probably was just hoping for rest. His neck stretched, lifting his head higher with a hopeful rise towards the tips of the castle's towers.

"Let's go" he said. "Let's make for him as well then".

Without checking Yusei's reaction, he stepped forward, beginning the final, certain leg of their journey to the hidden area. Yusei quickly followed, determined to keep by his friend's side and not be left behind simply because of his uncharacteristic pessimism; the redhead had always filled the role of being the overly-optimist character, without him, they were closer to realism, accepting the world was a cruel and unforgiving place, making exceptions for no-one

Another quarter-hour passed by before the pair were close to the edge of the white fantasy land, Jack still slightly ahead. He smiled at the towering structure, progressing well until he crashed into something, rebounding a step in surprise. Yusei paused, watching Jack stumble with a shocked look, was he playing some kind of game?

"Jack, what's wrong?" he asked.

Jack pushed his hand forward, finding the same force that prevented him passing through blocking it from going any further. His palm rested against it, feeling faint warmth from the air, stroking the invisible wall.

"There's some kind of barrier here" he mumbled, craning his neck back to capture more of the buildings. "We can't get in for some reason, it must be a defence mechanism".

"But…" Yusei gasped with disappointment. "You mean we came all this way and the tale that anyone can be allowed in is false?"

Jack tilted his head downwards, clenched his teeth as he recalled the face of his mother beside his bed, smiling as they agreed one day to visit the mysterious place and perhaps even set up a home. His hand clenched itself into a fist and pulled back, Jack dropped to his knees, trying his hardest to keep his despair and sorrow locked away while Yusei watched with a sorrowful face, more disappointed for his friend's sake than his own; Jack had tried endlessly to find Z-ONE while they fled the spreading destruction, while they looked for somewhere to just live for a night or two - the goal never left his mind nor his heart.

There was a nearby crunch that crawled into Yusei's ears, dragging his head up; like footsteps in the sand. Maybe someone had followed them.

"What are you kids doing here?"

Yusei turned, finding that the figure was dressed in white robes, cleaned and fresh in contrast to their exhausted outfits. A hood hung over his hair, exposing a couple of greyed bangs hanging either side of his face. A grey plate covered his chest, extending upwards into an oversized solid collar with a ring around the top that continued to swirl underneath, holding an emerald sphere in place over the centre of his chest. A black stripe marked the centre of the robes, matched by rings close to his elbows where red shards were implanted, matching diamonds of the same shade at the ends of the long sleeves, another black strip stretched from his elbow to wrist. The darkness in the centre of his attire stretched down over his legs, stopping shortly after his rear when the light reclaimed its dominance, the legs encased by steel cases on the outsides, exposing only the inner faces .Long heeled white boots completed his uniform.

His pale face bore some curious features; a metal plate had been placed over his right eye, a circular bump was placed over the socket with a small black hole in the centre of one of the rings that made an infinity symbol. The other eye, however, was no less ordinary; a blackened scar ran below the socket, a blood-red iris fixed in the centre, and close by, imprinted into his forehead, was a small green triangle matching the orb pressed against his chest. His exposed eye was set firmly on Yusei, who turned slightly more, watching over his shoulder.

"We've been travelling" he replied. "We were caught up in the Reverse two years ago and fled Satellite. We just came upon this place. Is this… is this truly Z-ONE?"

The pale man cast his eyes past Yusei and to Jack, who remained on his knees, still despairing over their rejection. His red eye returned to Yusei with the same stern aura.

"This is" he answered.

"If that's the case, then why isn't it possible for us to get in?" Jack asked, raising to his feet beside Yusei, his arms still tense and fists balled tightly. "Z-ONE is supposed to let in anyone, isn't it? Then why can't we make it?"

The man's face softened, a smile settled onto the bottom of his face. Moving the heeled boots, he advanced towards Jack and paused in front of him, revealing his height above Yusei and below Jack.

"I see; so you've been striving for the protection of this place" he said.

"My mother told stories of this place when I was a child" Jack sighed. "I always hoped to come here with her".

"But she's no longer part of this world, is she?" the white man mumbled. Jack lowered his head. "The answer to your question is nothing complex. Z-ONE releases a barrier that prevents the entry of those not already under God's guidance during the end hours of the day and throughout the night. The reason lies in the fact that normally, when somebody arrives here seeking peace, the sun is normally high in the sky, it's a good omen about the person".

"Are you saying that because we arrived here shortly before dusk, people won't be as willing to trust us?" Jack growled.

"No, that's not the case" the man answered. "No-one has the power to judge another".

"Does that mean you're going to let us in so easily?" Yusei asked, flabbergasted by the simple process of a brief interview followed by the opening of the towering doors. "But how can you trust us? We could be terrorists for all you know, the people of the City seem to think so anyway".

"God wouldn't have let you arrive if you didn't have a decent intention for entering His realm" the white man claimed with the same accepting smile. "Even if you had managed to find this place while bearing a dark heart, there would be something inside of you that He would deem worthy of His care".

"So you rely on fate and the will of a God to determine who's worthy of entering" Jack murmured.

"I shall explain more inside" the man added. "I will lead you through the barrier and into God's arms".

The man reached forward, seizing Yusei's right hand, which came as a surprised to the dark-haired boy, who had to resist struggling as an automatic reaction. Jack was given warning, an opened hand from the unnamed figure, he reached out and accepted it, linking the three. Together they turned to face the invisible wall keeping the two out. The grey-haired man moved first, almost dragging the two behind him; he passed through the barrier without any trouble, Yusei and Jack, however, felt the warmth of the barrier turn cold, Yusei's eyes widened as he could feel a small pain brewing in his head; another headache growing like someone had launched a dagger in their last chance and it had struck him in the back of the head. He winced, pressing his other hand against it. The passage through the barrier was quick and once the man acknowledged they had made it through, he twisted his head to smile at them over his shoulder, only to notice Yusei's struggle. The smile flickered and his hands dropped from theirs.

"Is everything alright?"

"I'm fine, don't worry about me" Yusei mumbled. "It's just a headache".

The man frowned out of Yusei's sight, the reaction wasn't one that had happened before and would need investigating, it could have something to do with the fact that the two had come towards the end of the day, shortly after the barrier was erected around their paradise. Jack laid his hands on Yusei's shoulders, hoping to coax his friend, Yusei returned the gesture with a smile. With his friend secure, Jack turned to focus on the grey-haired man.

"Thank you" he said. "But we don't know who you are or why you helped us".

The man smiled. "I can answer both of those in one answer" he stated before turning and laid a hand over his chest, presumably the spot where his heart was. "My name is Placido, I am a servant of Zone".

"Zone?" Yusei asked.

"Zone is the name of our God" Placido answered.

"Then that means… this place is named after Zone?" Jack gasped, eyes slightly wider. "It wasn't named as a prelude to the Reverse?"

"No. It seems that the government were using the Reverse to purge people while hunting for certain individuals at the same time" Placido averted. "Z-ONE is a sanctuary for the hunted, you two seem to have experienced the same. Satellite was not the only place that suffered from a Reverse".

"That's right, Daimon, Daedalus and other regions around the City" Jack growled. "They were all attacked in the same way as Satellite and then renamed".

"The naming scheme of the Reverse follows the original Z-ONE" Placido continued. "One of my colleagues assumes that it's a theme in order to make the government seem that much closer to Z-ONE".

"That would explain Satellite becoming S-ZERO" Yusei sighed. "The people mean nothing to the City and it was the first to be attacked".

Placido nodded, noting the invasion of despair into Yusei's eyes. He stepped forward, raising his hand and dropping it onto Jack's, pressing down harder on Yusei's shoulder. The reaction he got with a raised head from the youngest of the travellers, he offered a smile.

"Come, Zone will protect you both from now on" he uttered.

He turned to lead the two to the immense doors of the castle-like exterior of the shelter, the majestic white panels much larger than most of the buildings in Satellite had been, much more than any that remained in tatters now. The metallic patch over Placido's eye began to glow with a green light wrapped around the infinity sign; the doors creaked and moved apart automatically, opening a narrow passage between them, all while Yusei and Jack gazed in awe at the sight and process. Placido advanced a number of steps before turning to the pair, indicating they follow him.

They did so, crossing through the outer wall of the district, the creaking of the doors resumed once they passed through safely, the doors sealing themselves once again. Placido led the two across the tiled bridge over a moat of sparkling water. Jack's eyes leapt from one place to another, finding homes built into the walls, buildings constructed on the land in blocks for more accommodation and businesses, greenery abundant, though few people to enjoy it all. A fountain tittered close to the centre, a ring of cement that connected to the river underneath the concrete around it, a passage to the underneath. Placido stopped for nothing, but headed towards the church set in a short distance from an immense temple. Yusei's eyes travelled to the smaller, although no less beautiful, building. A young boy rushed from the gaping black opening, teal hair pulled into a single ponytail while the rest of him was dressed in white with a blue top marked with gold. The boy panted shallowly as he rushed from away from the hole and in the direction of the housing sector. Yusei stopped, about to follow him when Placido's hand fell onto his shoulder again, the grey-haired man shook his head slowly.

"That boy has done nothing wrong, I will explain later" he whispered. "Come, I wish you to meet my colleagues".

"Is everything alright with him?" Jack asked, eyes still fixed on the small boy until he vanished between blocks of homes.

"If anything was wrong, he would come to consult us" Placido insisted.

Jack pondered what exactly Placido could do that was so different from anyone else, perhaps as a power granted as a part of his service to Zone. Placido continued to the foot of the steps leading into the church's gaping doorway, stretching much higher than its width, resembling the doors that had opened to allow the trio access into the area. Jack wasted no time in following, leaving Yusei alone for a couple of seconds while he focused on the path of the boy before he began to climb.

Placido waited for the pair at the top of the dozen wide steps, stretching across the face of the building, removing his hood for them to find his hair. It was spiked upwards with two shades of grey visible; one half lighter, one darker, the tallest spikes even on the right side of his head were the latter.

"This is our church" he stated, opening his hand in the direction of the doorway cloaked in shadows.

Jack gazed into the shade, frozen in place until Placido moved ahead and proceeded into the building, followed by Yusei who quickly decided to follow the man, prompting Jack's addition to the entrance. Inside the building, a circle was the centre of the floor, marked in a brilliant combination of pale yellow and blue tiles to mark out the centrepiece of the design; surrounded by grey blocks leading an array of colours across the building. Pews stood precisely in rows along the wide chamber, facing an elevated stage. Placido strode between the benches, up the aisle towards the stage while Jack and Yusei remained behind, looking around the area in awe. Placido only turned back to check on the pair once he had climbed onto the stage and turned to face them, his legs set apart to give him the appearance of a superior standing over his subordinates.

"This is Zone's palace" he declared, catching Yusei and Jack's attention. "Everyone in Z-ONE comes here to pray to Zone for peace. The boy you saw was praying to Zone's soldiers; the Five Dragons".

"Five… Dragons?" Yusei murmured. "So they work under Zone just as you do, but as gods themselves?"

"Yes" Placido replied. "Under them, I work as a bishop here, maintaining peace and order with my comrades; Zone's elite followers".

"They're superior…" Jack muttered, barely above a whisper.

Yusei glanced at Jack once he picked up on the meaning of his friend's whisper, back immediately to Placido at the time the white man's lips parted.

"We watch over those who have accepted Zone as the true God despite propaganda and threats from people like the government that try to tarnish this place or even try to create a pseudo-God of their own. The same people who are hunting you… they must have some special interest in you two, so Zone brought you here to protect you. As Zone's servant, I will do the same myself".

"You're always so dramatic, Placido" a young voice chuckled from a source unseen.

Yusei and Jack began to scan the area, searching for the origin of the voice. Placido, on the other hand, slackened his shoulders and looked to his right, where a young boy stood dressed in a similar white cloak.

"Don't mess around like that, Lucciano" he groaned.

A high-pitched chuckle followed the brief scolding and the boy made his presence known to the pair waiting to learn the truth; he couldn't have been much older than a preteen, but he stood in the same style as Placido's robes, a large silver ring hanging over his shoulders, curling in front of his neck and ending with two separate ends close to one another, golden rods hovered around the silver ring covered in the white sheets while another, shaped in an infinity symbol hung vertically from another ring around his neck. From the white shirt hanging over his chest, a teal and aquamarine shirt hung, sprouting longer sleeves from the shorter versions of those from the white top. White trousers and blue boots completed the uniform of the younger minister, hair the colour of oxblood hung down his back, pressed against it by the heavy veil, a metallic patch matching Placido's was fixed over his left eye and a blue triangle fixed into his forehead.

"So, you found some more people, did ya?" he asked with a chortle.

"They were lurking outside the barrier having come shortly after it was erected; I couldn't leave them out overnight" Placido replied. "Though I never got around to asking their names".

"Jack Atlus" the blonde stated.

"Fudo Yusei" his dark-haired companion added.

"I see" Placido answered. "This is Lucciano, he too is a bishop working under Zone".

"Yo" the boy chimed.

"Isn't he a little young for that kind of role?" Jack asked, bemused by the concept of a child bishop.

"There are many children that arrive here in Z-ONE. Lucciano bonds well with them" Placido claimed. "It was a skill that Zone recognised when Lucciano was brought here".

"'Brought'?" Yusei gasped. "So… you were outsiders too".

Placido nodded. "We were directed here from different backgrounds and qualities of life; Zone recognised elements of us that could be put to use for the sake of this place. So we were guided by Him. He is the God of Destiny".

"God of… Destiny" Yusei breathed.

"People always believe that Destiny is a force entirely its own" a new voice, much older, emitted, bouncing off the walls of the church. "However, without life, there is no Destiny to rule. Zone was born from nothing to wield Destiny and use it to create a world fit for humans".

"José" Placido uttered, identifying the name of the third man.

Close to Yusei and Jack, the third man appeared. He towered over the pair of them, even forcing Jack to crane his neck back to get a decent view of the man's head. Little could be seen of his face due to the veil hanging around his head, long grey hairs protruding from above his right eye, metal plate with a vertical infinity symbol engraved on it over his nose and mouth and long narrow beard flowing out from the piece. Golden plates pressed the robes to his shoulders, concealing much of his white shirt above the silver belt wrapped around his waist with a brief break in the centre of his stomach at the top of an orange triangle touching the orange material that covered half his legs, the other half of the trousers also white. Black gloves covered his large hands and grey metal rings clung to his wrists.

"A third bishop?" Jack asked.

"That I am" José answered. "I am the eldest of Zone's servants".

Jack turned his eyes back to Placido, a glint of suspicion flashed across them. "How many more of you are going to show up?"

"We three are the only members of Zone's force that are present in Z-ONE currently" Placido announced. "The archbishop and two of our comrades will return shortly; they have been on journeys with different goals, all for the benefit of this place and its people".

"So what are you going to do to determine if we can stay or not?" Jack asked.

"Observe" Placido replied bluntly.

"'Observe'?" Jack repeated. "You mean you're going to accept us without any questions and just watch what we do?"

"That is all" José answered. "There is no reason to believe you two are a threat to this place or to Zone".

"You say that this place has buildings used for worshipping Zone and his Dragons, but I've seen nothing about them" Yusei commented. "Do you not have a visual image and simply envision him in your own ways?"

"No, we've got an image" Lucciano called, pointing upwards.

Yusei and Jack moved their eyes upwards to the painting that decorated a lower-hanging block of ceiling, depicting a shape like an upside-down comma, pale bars wrapped around the edges of the circular body from the centre, where a circle with a spiral pattern long the edge rested at the core. Six transparent tubes protruded from the back beneath a series of flat metal plates standing out from the back of the arch over the figure's head. The small shape, assumed to be a case around Zone's being was fixed into the top of the circular body, another series of pale bars locked it into place. Around the figure, a rainbow encircled the large design, encasing the man seated in his mechanical throne in a rainbow-like halo as brilliant as emerald.

Yusei stared at the design with a pale face, his eyes widening when another pain shot through him; different to any he had experienced before. The church began to sway and Yusei was struggling to fight, José noticed the boy's weakening stance and charged forward, opening his arms as Yusei tipped back, his eyes closed as he fell.

"Yusei!" Jack cried, having just noticed his friend's state.

Yusei landed in José's hands, the large man dropping to one knee cautiously to allow Yusei to sit. The boy rested against the large black hand, sweat slipping down his forehead and chest heaving with shallow breaths travelling in and out, agony was written across his face. Jack fell beside Yusei, pressing his hand underneath his bangs and against his forehead.

"He's burning up" he gasped.

"It came on suddenly, didn't it?" José inquired.

"It could have been from travelling through the desert" Jack mumbled anxiously. "We've been making our way through it for two days. He didn't seem well before, then when we found this place, he had another headache. I don't know why, but he's been getting them since we left Satellite".

"You came from Satellite?" Lucciano called. "Barely anyone makes it here from that far away".

Placido stepped down from the stage and strode back towards José and Jack, both keeping their eyes fixed on Yusei, who unconsciously struggled to breathe, Jack grabbed his right hand, squeezing it while biting his lower lip.

"Yusei…" he whispered.

"He experienced another when we passed through the barrier" Placido declared.

"What?" Jack breathed.

"I don't know what it is about your friend, but he is certainly unique" the grey-haired man added.

"Are you suggesting something's wrong with Yusei being here?" Jack growled. "Are you saying that Zone brought us here just to make him suffer?"

"No. Quite the opposite" Placido insisted, keeping calm in the face of Jack's wrath. "I think that Zone knows that something is different about Yusei and used that as an excuse to bring you two here. It might have something to do with why you two have been hunted by the government".

"So you'll help him?" Jack requested.

"We shall" José answered with a nod. "We won't turn our backs on anyone. We'll take him to the hospital wing".

Jack's face softened, relief washed over him while he took in the message; they were true: the three bishops were eager to help anyone that asked for it. The stories his mother told him were true and he had finally achieved the goal he set himself as a child. He had found Z-ONE and hope.

* * *

><p><em>Zone of God. Ailing soul. The prayer of a single voice. The search of the City. Fates intertwine by the arrival of two and the connections of many. "02-Dawn of Genesis".<em>


	2. Dawn of Genesis

**Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's - 05-Dragon**

by Yusei

_**Summary - **"AU. _Yusei and Jack, after years of searching, find the legendary Z-ONE, a utopia for all. However, there are other forces after the two and this paradise, ready to invade and spark an all-out war against the other world_"._

_**Disclaimer – **__I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's or any of the characters._

_**A/N – **Working on updating as many of these fics as possible so as to remind people that I haven't given up on them, though this one seems to keep drawing my attention, can't be sure why__. Because of that, this one could be the most regularly updated, so I hope that it can still be enjoyable despite its rushed pace. Hope you enjoy. Please read and review._

* * *

><p><em>The shadow of Yusei's mother skated across the kitchen wall as she rushed to clean her hands following one of her chores, brunette hair tied into a curved ponytail that was clipped to the back of her head. The woman wore a pink shirt that exposed her shoulders, sleeves pulled back while her hands swam in the warm water of the sink. Beside her, twelve-year old Yusei stood with a smirk on his face, waiting for the woman to turn her attention back to him with the same bright smile she always offered. After a moment, she fulfilled that, scratching the skin of her hands with the tea towel that she then deposited beside the dent in the draining board and turning to him with the brilliant blue eyes he had inherited.<em>

"_Ka-san" the child chimed. "Where's Tou-san?"_

"_He'll be home soon" she replied, laying a hand atop his spiky hair and stroked the boy tentatively._

"_I hope so, Jack was saying that there's news of something bad happening" the boy mumbled, his smile disintegrating into a frown._

_The woman paused her comfort and watched her son with a bemused look; the children were normally kept away from the news to avoid worrying them. It was a precaution to protect them, although the truth was, most of them struggled to comprehend what was happening. The door clicked and swung opened, revealing a man looking almost identical to the boy standing in front of the woman, born a generation before, although without the blonde streaks in his hair and emerald eyes in the place of sapphire. A smile shone from the older man's face._

"_I'm home" he announced._

"_Tou-san!" Yusei cried, charging towards the man whom he looked like a replica of._

_The man, dropped down onto one knee, opening his arms to welcome the boy into his embrace. Yusei rushed in, pressing himself against the chest of his father, breathing in his scent, arms closed around him._

"_Dear" the woman behind the scene muttered. Hakase Fudo rose to meet her while holding Yusei in his arms._

"_Is something the matter?" he asked while continuing to beam proudly._

_Hakase's wife hesitated. "N- No…" she sighed finally._

_Yusei blinked at his mother, wondering if she had been about to confess the news that he had passed on. Sensing his concern, she smiled at him brightly, taking a few steps forward and grabbing his right hand, closing her fingers around it. Yusei watched her, puzzled by her actions._

"_We'll go out tomorrow; the three of us, right?" she whispered, her eyes narrow with a glittering warmth about them._

_Hakase's right hand fell over his wife's, clutching Yusei's hand tighter, uniting the three in one special place, his thumb stretched over Yusei's wrist and brushed his forearm. The boy twisted his neck in order to view his face's smiling face as a reflection of his mother's._

"_Don't worry, I won't let anything distract me from going" he added. "We'll go with Jack's family, okay?"_

_Yusei's face brightened, nodding his head quickly in response to the family promise._

"_Yeah" he cried happily._

_The hissing of something overhead swept over the house. Hakase lifted his head, glaring through the ceiling in the direction of the sound. While Yusei kept close to his chest, Hakase dropped his head to find his wife standing with a determined look on her face to match his; they understood what was happening. Rumour had it the City was acting hostile lately; something was bound to happen. Hakase snatched the hand of his wife from their son's and charged forward, holding Yusei up with one arm and ensuring his wife stayed by his side with the other._

_From behind, an explosion ripped through the house, tearing bricks and wooden planks away in an instant. Barely a second passed after the first wall disintegrated when the curling wall of power threw Hakase and his wife from the ground, both crying out. Yusei was launched from his father's grasp and thrown further, surrounded by fire and the lashing winds. His mind was set only on where his mother and father had gone before everything went black._

_It couldn't have been more than a few minutes when Yusei came back to and picked his head up from the floor. The ground around him was ruined, his home torn apart by the explosion. His hands trembled as they moved underneath him, helping to lift his small body from the ground and onto his knees. The boy grunted, feeling his arms tremble with shock and fatigue, breathing heavily after trying to piece together what had happened. Then the flames and the cries of his parents came back to him._

"_Ka-san?" he whimpered, lifting his head. "Tou-san?"_

_Amongst the ruins of the Fudo family home, boulders of rubble and small flames replaced furniture, the clear blue sky overhead had given way to red streaks of blood and thick pillars of smoke that gathered into grey and black clouds. Yusei's eyes widened in horror when his eyes found his parents amongst the debris; they were laying close to each other, hands still touching, but limp. Neither stirred, his father had blood running down the right side of his face, looking towards the woman beside him with closed eyes. She did the same, though with no blood on her face; scratches and a thin strip of blood that leaked from her mouth. Yusei's small body shivered as he stared at the sight of his parents, unable to call to them, unable to move towards them. Terror gripped his body and held him down, keeping him from moving away from the fact that his parents were lying still. Although he had never known anyone that died, what had happened to them was painfully clear to him._

_The boy's body shuddered like a blizzard were around him instead of fires; the entire area had been struck in the same way, corpses laying around in the ruins of homes and out on the street. But everything else was a backdrop to his parents; neither moving nor breathing. Yusei's irises shrank drastically and a blood-curling scream of despair and horror erupted into the sky._

* * *

><p><strong>02-Dawn of Genesis<strong>

Yusei remained unconscious as he lay in the bed of a private room in the hospital wing, dark circles under his eyes from the struggle he had endured in the church. His chest rose and dropped slowly, under control, but his breath continued to sound ragged. Beside the bed, a heart monitor bleeped regularly as a sign that he still lived.

"So he's had these episodes before, but never this serious?" Placido asked to clarify Jack's story, standing on the other side of the door leading to the room.

Jack was seated on a bench, leaning over, his hands pressed against one another, eyes lingering on the floor. Placido's shoulders slackened; it wasn't often that someone would end up in the hospital wing the first night of their stay in Z-ONE. He sighed, unsure exactly what he could say that wouldn't worsen Jack's emotional state. José turned his back on the three and also sighed.

"We have to speak with Aporia over this" he mumbled.

"Aporia?" Lucciano repeated. "Are you sure it's a good idea to drag him back here already? He'll be back soon anyway".

José grunted, not giving a verbal response before walking away. Jack watched the man until he disappeared around the closest corner and then looked to Placido and Lucciano.

"Aporia is the archbishop here" Placido replied. "He's our superior; the most influential of Zone's servants. He's the leader of Yliaster".

"Yliaster?" Jack echoed.

"Yliaster is the religion under Zone" Lucciano explained. "As archbishop and leader of Z-ONE, Aporia is supposed to stand as Zone's avatar. Only that's not the same as other religions…"

"Lucciano" Placido growled.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jack asked.

Placido sighed heavily; the blonde had proven himself a suitable citizen for Z-ONE, to live under Zone, but it didn't grant him access to classified information. The problem was that Lucciano had let a small piece slip; now Jack was after more. The grey-haired man turned to Jack with rigid arms and a stretched back.

"What I'll tell you, you can't repeat to anyone" he affirmed.

"What about Yusei?" Jack asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It's best to wait for now" Placido answered. "Yusei is struggling as it is, you can't risk overloading him with secrets".

"I understand" Jack murmured.

"Ordinarily, a religion has one leader under a divinity; that person would then act as that divinity's representative on Earth" Placido elucidated. "However, that's not the case with Zone. There's a tale that Zone will recreate himself in the form of a human; someone that will act as a true avatar rather than a mere representative".

"You mean… Zone will recreate someone that looks like him?" Jack gasped.

"It's possible, but because of the painting you saw, you can see the drawback" Placido sighed. "Nobody knows what Zone looks like underneath that metal body. All we know is that someone is going to be born in Zone's image, and there must be a reason for that".

"You know it yet?" Jack inquired.

"No. There's been nothing to help us on who or why Zone will create" Lucciano answered, shaking his head.

"José is much more experienced than Lucciano and myself; the fact that he's turning to Aporia means something" Placido mumbled. "Something big".

"You don't think he suspects Yusei of being Zone's avatar, do you?" Jack asked, shooting up from the bench.

Placido and Lucciano both gave Jack astonished looks; Placido could understand Jack's line of thinking based on the direction of their conversation, but the thought hadn't entered his mind. Was it true that José could believe such a thing? It could explain the strange occurrences surrounding Yusei, but there was no evidence that suggested he was anything more than another victim of the Reverse spreading across the region. His eye moved in the direction José had disappeared down, he himself couldn't be sure.

Jack turned from the pair and to the door, pressing down on the clear electronic panel beside the door. A wave of glittering emerald pixels ran down the face of the device and opened the door, its hissing alerting Placido and Lucciano of Jack's moves. The grey-haired man twisted his body to face the blonde, who refused to look back in response.

"His condition won't change, regardless of whether you are there or not" he declared.

"I'm staying with him anyway" Jack mumbled. "Yusei won't die, I won't let him…"

He took a step forward, entering the room and remaining still while the door slid shut behind him. Jack's eyes slid over Yusei's body, the white sheet had been pulled up halfway over his chest, leaving only his head, neck, collar and shoulders exposed, the blue jacket he wore hanging on the chair beside the bed, waiting close to the heart monitor. The blonde strode to the seat, falling into it and began to stare at the face of his best friend, his right hand inches from Yusei's.

"Yusei…" he breathed.

While Jack's eyes fell shut, Yusei's twitched, a weak grunt followed, signalling to the blonde that he was waking. Jack opened his eyes in surprise, half-rising from his seat and watched in relief as Yusei's eyes flickered open slowly, pausing halfway.

"…Jack…" he exhaled slowly, weakly.

"Yusei, I'm here" Jack spoke, leaning forward and grabbing Yusei's hand.

Yusei's eyes dropped to find Jack's face, his head then turned to get a better view of the blonde, noticing the fear and hope that flashed across his face simultaneously. A small smile crept onto his face and with his untouched arm; he pushed himself up from the bed, sitting himself despite Jack's quick protest.

"Hey, don't push yourself" the blonde pleaded. "You've just woken up".

"I'm fine" Yusei huffed heavily. "Really".

His eyes fell to the hand on his; it was like a repeat of the day his parents were slaughtered with thousands of others. Yusei couldn't stop his eyes filling with tears when he recognised the reach and turned his head away, keeping it low in the hope of avoiding Jack's attention. That hope, however, was denied; Jack noticed Yusei's strange behaviour and gripped his hand tighter.

"Yusei, are you alright?" he asked.

Tears slid down Yusei's face, uniting at his chin and dropping away onto the white bed sheet. A couple of grunts trying to lock away his sorrow managed to escape from his clenched teeth. Jack's expression softened when he realised Yusei wasn't suffering physically, but that he was grieving, perhaps because of the mention of Jack's mother, reminding the two of them that they were grown orphans.

"Go…" Yusei choked. "Go with the others and find peace in this place".

"I can't do that" Jack replied, drawing Yusei's eyes to his firm expression. "I'm staying here with you. We began this search together, we found this place together, and we should finish it together".

Yusei's irises seemed to shiver while he fixed his vision on Jack, stunned by the blonde's loyal approach to dealing with his bedridden condition. The two were locked in their spirit-lifting moment for an extended moment, stretching beyond mere minutes and into the night.

* * *

><p>The following afternoon, Jack stepped out of the church's gaping entrance, lifting his head to view the brilliant blue sky. He relaxed his view and turned to the dimmed entrance.<p>

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" he asked.

"Yeah…" Yusei answered lightly, staggering out from the shadows around the entrance to the holy structure.

Jack frowned, still unconvinced by Yusei's insistence that he was strong enough to venture outside the church and explore the rest of Z-ONE. Emerging behind him, Placido appeared atop the wide steps, smiling at the pair's decision to venture out into Z-ONE's society. Yusei looked in the direction of the temple that they had seen the boy rush from the night before, Placido recognised his focus and brightened his smile.

"Do you wish to see the Dragons?" he asked.

Yusei made an embarrassed sound as his head whipped back to Placido. "Y- Yes, please".

Placido waved his hand to signal the pair after him. Yusei approached the steps, Jack remained at the top in order to turn and offer his hand to Yusei, hoping to ensure he would stay upright and not collapse down the rigid descent. Yusei smirked at Jack's offer and stepped down the first of the stairs.

"I can handle myself, Jack" he said. "Thank you".

Jack's hand lowered and the blonde shook his head with a mischievous smile. "That Yusei…" he chuckled to himself. "Always determined to prove himself".

He followed Placido and Yusei to the ground, landing with two clicks beneath his boots and raised his arm to shield his eyes from the sun; in comparison to the day before, it had grown colder, a merciful breeze rushing by. Placido led the two into the separated temple, back into the protective darkness. Streams of light did break through the ceiling, however, granting the chamber some light. Yusei and Jack froze when they entered, finding the immense statues of five creatures, each placed beside one another, standing in a semi-circle while facing them, the creatures' heads all raised towards the sky.

"This is…" Jack whispered.

"Star Dust; Dragon of Hope and Bonds. Red Demon: Dragon of Power and Repentance. Black Rose: Dragon of Acceptance and Tolerance. Ancient Fairy: Dragon of Peace and Health. Life Stream: Dragon of Life and Knowledge" Placido listed, opening his hand in the direction of each as he introduced them, moving from the central dragon to those to its right and then those to its left. "They are Zone's Five Dragons".

Jack examined the Red Demon with particular interest; his eyes scanning it vertically until they fell upon a young woman crouched on her knees in front of it, hands clutching one another. Her long black hair flowed down her back, hanging partway behind her orange vest, sleeves decorated with blue and white stripes appeared from the furry shoulders, blue jeans covered her legs and orange shoes with white markings rested underneath her.

"She's praying" he stated.

"That girl is Carly Nagisa" Placido reported. "She struggled to live after the Reverse hit Daimon; she resorted to acting as a thief just to get the food she needed to live. She conveyed her story to me, claiming that one day; she noticed a starving child and handed over the bread she had stolen from a nearby store to him. It was then that she realised her stealing was costing children their meals and caused them suffering. She set out in a quest for forgiveness and found Z-ONE. The Red Demon represents forgiveness and moving on, it was the one she turned to first, in order to repent for her crimes".

"Has Zone not yet forgiven her?" Jack asked, his eyes fixed upon the girl's petite body.

"I'm sure He has" Placido murmured. "But it seems she refuses to accept a simple apology, she wishes to continue to repent until she no longer recognises herself as the girl that committed those crimes".

'_She's punishing herself''_ Jack thought to himself as he watched the girl with a puzzled look in his eyes..

Yusei moved elsewhere, looking over to the two on his far-right; the Ancient Fairy and Life Stream. His eyes moved downwards to find the same boy from the night before, also on his knees and head bowed. He flinched, pointing to the child in shock.

"That's-" he called.

"His sister is ill" Placido replied.

Yusei looked to him, surprised by the news of the ailing sibling. "I don't remember seeing her in the hospital wing".

"She's not there" the grey-haired bishop stated. "She remains at home, spending quite a lot of time in a wheelchair because her body is so fragile. She decided not to enter the hospital wing so that she could avoid being a burden to her brother. Either way, he comes here every day to pray for her; he prays to both the Ancient Fairy for her recovery and the Life Stream in order to improve her quality of life and aid her in repairing her damaged body".

"But what about their parents?" Yusei inquired.

"They're in C-INF" Placido answered coldly.

"C-INF?" Yusei gasped. "The kids left on their own?"

"They were disgusted with the Reverse and decided to move on when their parents condoned the government's actions" Placido explained, seeming to find anger swirling inside of him. "They are the ultimate proof of loyalty".

Yusei watched the boy's small frame sit like a statue in front of the two massive dragons, wondering how it was to willing run away from his parents, still in shock that there were children that felt so desperate to leave home and cut their ties with their loved blood relatives by their own will.

* * *

><p>In the centre of the City formerly named Neo-Domino - C-INF - a blonde woman strode through the large corridor leading towards the Director's base camp. Directed by a man wearing the military uniform of dark forest green and a blue scarf wrapped around his neck, the blonde woman couldn't have been much older than her early-twenties. The man in front of her had dark hair and tanned skin, thick eyebrows that rested on top of his sockets bearing eyes that looked only ahead.<p>

"Colonel Ushio" the woman spoke with a deeper than expected voice. "Why is it the Director wishes to see me?"

"You'll soon see" the army official replied without so much as taking his eyes from the grand doors ahead of them.

As they approached the barrier, Ushio slowed gradually, followed by the young woman, who gazed at the doors in awe; never had she seen a setup so lavish. Ushio moved to a panel next to the doors, a laser shining from the rectangular device that scanned his eye, flashing green once it identified him as one of the Director's men. The doors groaned while swinging apart, opening the two to the immense chamber on the other side. Ushio was first in, the woman quickly following suit.

At the other end of the room, a man stood in a grey suit, long pale hair hanging down his back and hands crossed behind his back, both concealed in white gloves. He could easily tower over the young woman, perhaps challenge Ushio for supremacy in physical height. In terms of power, he dwarfed the official by an extreme degree. The officer lifted his hand, saluting the man whose back remained to them.

"Director Godwin, I've brought Sherry LeBlanc as you requested" he announced.

The man turned slowly, revealing his aged face to the young Sherry. His body remained squared and moved as little as possible, his lips remained firmly straight, no sign of approval of Ushio's success or acknowledging the woman's arrival in the City.

"Thank you, Colonel" he spoke professionally. "I'd like you to stay during this meeting".

"Yes sir" Ushio responded, dropping his hand and stepping to one side, allowing Sherry the stage opposite the strongest man in the country.

"Sherry LeBlanc, I'm glad you could make it" Godwin said.

"If you don't mind my asking, Director Godwin, why have you requested my presence?" Sherry asked.

"You are a Freelancer on a personal mission, at least, according to my Intel" Godwin stated.

"You've been tracking me?" Sherry gasped furiously.

"No, that is not the case" Godwin replied. "I've merely heard about you. Although, I do hope to achieve more than that. I'd like to pay for your services".

"What do you mean?" Sherry asked. "You want me to work for you? What exactly are you hunting?"

"That's an interesting question" Godwin murmured. "It just so happens that I'm hunting the same thing you are. Reports on your parents' murderer claimed that they were a part 'Yliaster', a religion that has been hidden for years; the deaths of your parents was the first mention of the name broadcast to the public. It does not set a very good first impression. The same goes for the Psychics, haven't you said that Psychics were responsible for your parents' deaths?"

"Where are you going with this?" Sherry snapped.

Godwin held up a photograph with the blank face to Sherry, launching it across the room to her. The woman reacted lightning fast, snatching the photograph from the air and lowered it in front of her chest.

"Yliaster has the aim of using the Five Dragons to spread their religion across the entire planet. However, these Dragons can only use their power through certain people: Signers" Godwin affirmed. "I'm on the hunt for both Yliaster and these Signers. The two people in the photograph are individuals that I have long sought after".

Sherry clenched her teeth and dropped her eyes to the photograph; there she was looking into the faces of Yusei and Jack standing in a town some distance away.

"That photograph was taken a few weeks ago" the Director added. "Those two seem to be getting better at evading my men".

"I don't understand" Sherry hissed. "What evidence do you have that these two are Signers or even involved with Yliaster?"

"I have a personal grudge with one of them" Godwin growled, narrowing his eyes. "Judging by their path, they are heading for a remote area that cannot be scanned by satellite nor reached easily on foot. Airspace has been banned to all living outside the region, so the only way to invade is to use an undercover officer. That's where you come in".

"You called me all the way here just so you could use me in a mission that any one of your men could have carried out?" Sherry growled, voice raising as her anger peaked.

A click distracted Sherry's fury, her eyes widened as the sight of a gun in Godwin's grasp, aimed at her head. The woman relaxed, staring at the man with eyes full of shock.

"None of my men have a grudge against Yliaster that will push them through to success against impossible odds like you do, Ms LeBlanc" the Director mumbled coldly. "Do you not wish to stand over the people responsible for the assassination of your parents?"

"I…" Sherry whispered. Her head lowered and empty hand clenched into a fist, nails threatening to pierce through the white glove over her fingers. When her head rose, her emerald eyes blazed with unparalleled hatred and a lust for revenge. "I will work with you… to ease the restless spirits of my parents".

* * *

><p>The boy kneeling in front of the Ancient Fairy and Life Stream picked himself up, lifting his head to smile gratefully at the two Dragon statues. He turned to depart when he noticed Yusei standing behind him, towering over him from the short distance between them. The boy watched him with a curious face, although not completely trusting, his fists hung by his side cautiously.<p>

"You pray for your sister" Yusei muttered. "I'll pray for her too".

"Eh?" the boy sounded.

"You treasure your sister greatly, she's lucky to have such a caring brother" the dark-haired adolescent continued.

"That's true, I do care a lot for Ruka" the boy growled, lifting his head higher to reveal a glare directed at the young man's blue eyes. "But that has nothing to do with you; you should focus on your own family rather than meddle with others and their secret troubles".

"I have none".

"Eh?" the boy repeated, eyes widening.

"My family… they left me long ago" Yusei sighed, disheartened by the boy's previous attitude and having to recall the deaths of his parents in order to justify his involvement. "They were killed in the Reverse six years ago".

"Then that means…" the boy whispered. Once the message sank in, his face softened and despair flooded his eyes, the fists unclenched and hung limply by his sides. "You suffered because of my parents… You lost yours because mine were arrogant. I'm sorry…"

Yusei snapped out of his own sorrow find the boy's eyes filled with tears, leaking from the corners of the sockets and streaming down his face. He carried guilt that couldn't have belonged to him; he would have been far too young to understand what was happening at the time of the first Reverse. Yet he shouldered the remorse. The boy hiccupped as he worked to suppress the tears and despair, failing miserably. Yusei dropped to one knee and wrapped his arms around the boy, pressing his right hand against the back of his head while pushing the child's face into his shoulder. While captured in the embrace, the youngster widened his eyes, shocked that the man who had suffered by his family's hand would react so caringly.

"Why?" he whispered. "Why are you like this? Why don't you hate me?"

"Because you have nothing to do with the Reverse" Yusei replied softly. "I cannot hate you nor your sister. You are just as much victims as Jack and I".

The boy remained frozen in Yusei's arms while the older pulled back, releasing him from the closed space. The boy's rivers of tears had been smudged by their contact with Yusei's jacket, leaving him staring with wide remnants of the tears suppressed by another force. Yusei laid a hand onto the boy's small shoulder.

"You called your sister 'Ruka'" he muttered. "What's your name?"

"R- Rua…" the boy exhaled. "And what about you? I need to know your name too".

The older of the two smiled gently, touched by the boy's concern. "Fudo Yusei. My friend there is Jack Atlus; we both came here from Satellite".

"I'm sorry" Rua sighed. "The place I come from caused you both such suffering; took away so much from you".

"It did" Yusei replied with a nod. "But you had nothing to do with it; you can't blame yourself for things that happened when we were all kids".

Rua lifted his head, inspiration flashed across his eyes like Yusei had removed the burden that had been weighing down on his shoulders for so long with such ease. Tossed it aside like it was nothing despite being one of the many victims that the children mourned and pitied, wishing they could reverse time just to prevent the destruction of the lives lost in the attacks.

"Yusei… I don't care what you say, I will make it up to you" Rua insisted. "I won't carry the burden that my parents passed on carelessly, but I always want to make it all up to you. I'll find a way to pay you back and make you smile forever".

Yusei lifted himself from the ground, allowing the words to sink into his heart as he did so and turned to Jack and Placido, both waiting for him to return to them.

"I know you will, Rua" he said. "I believe in you, and I'll wait to see what light radiates from you".

Rua beamed as he watched Yusei return to the pale men waiting by the tunnel that led them into the building. With a soft voice, he extended the vow. "I'll be sure to show you".

* * *

><p>Sherry pressed the burgundy coloured helmet under her arm against the edge of her chest while the large doors to the hangar slid apart, unveiling the building's set-up on the inside; several jets positioned on each side, facing those opposite, like soldiers standing with an aisle created by a lack of bodies. The blonde woman marched deeper into the hangar, towards the lines of aircrafts. Beside the closest to her path, a tall man with pale icy hair turned his head, smirking at the sight of a woman in his territory. The man, wearing a purple hair band around his head, his dim gold eyes glinted with interest in the woman's presence.<p>

"Hey, hey" he chimed, catching her attention.

Sherry paused, pressing her right fist against the hip of her white outfit, thick padding hanging over her chest under a section of her outfit that had been unzipped, exposing the top of her dark red shirt, including the fabric around the bottom of her neck. Her emerald eyes flashed with irritation at the man's careless and casual approach.

"You are?" she growled.

"Kiryu Kyosuke" the man stated, pointing to his chest with a thumb poking out of the fist raised. "And what about you, cutie?"

The woman's eyes narrowed sharply into a glare. "Call me that again and I'll break your neck" she growled. "My name is Sherry LeBlanc".

Kiryu lifted his hand, folding them behind the back of his head and pressing them against his hair, smirking at the woman who stood with confusion and irritation at the young man. He seemed unaffected and instead turned away to the other planes, raising his hands either side of his mouth to create a tunnel that would project his voice further than mere shouting could.

"Oi, Bommer!" he yelled.

"Bommer?" Sherry repeated to herself.

Beside another one of the aircrafts, a tower of a man turned, his dark skin exposed across his face and arms, his torso largely covered in a dim brown chest armour, exposing his waist and abdomen, large yellow rings wrapped around his upper arms and black gloves with holes for his fingers pinned by a much thicker pair around his wrists. Four belts attached his torso plate to white trousers bearing a couple more belts. The man strode from his craft towards the pair standing with eyes fixed on his towering form, the woman more impressed by his unusual height.

"What is it, Kiryu?" the dark-skinned man groaned.

Kiryu opened his hand in Sherry's direction. "Check it out; we've got a new partner in the squad, by the looks of things" Kiryu stated. "Godwin decided to get a chick in for us".

Sherry's eyes flashed with fury at the wording of Kiryu's story and sent a fist flying, striking the pale man across the face and knocked him back a step. Her golden hair floated back into place gracefully, contrasting Kiryu's stumbling movements. The pale man stared at the woman in shock, his fist pressed against the corner of his mouth beside a patch of his cheek began to transform into a red shade.

"I am nobody's" the woman growled, straightening her back and keeping her clenched fist high. "Learn that".

Kiryu stared at the woman's twisted face with a mixture of astonishment and admiration; she was a tough one, able to fight for herself, and he was willing she would be great fun in bed. An internal wide grin spread, he couldn't possibly allow her to find it after she had just struck him. Sherry turned her back on the duo, refusing to look back.

"I thought she was an ally, don't make an enemy out of her" Bommer mumbled to his partner.

Kiryu's eyes didn't leave the departing woman's figure, a somewhat dim grin spread across his face. Once he realised Bommer was still by his side and watching, he shook his head violently to erase the look.

"Don't you worry" he laughed. "She'll come around. Then we'll learn how we can satisfy each other's needs".

"Again with that word, huh?" Bommer muttered.

Kiryu turned from the steel doors that closed behind Sherry, removing her from the hangar and watched the open sky exposed at the opposite end; grey clouds rolling around in the City's sky. A frown replaced the playful smirk and his eyes narrowed with a venomous aura.

"I can still be serious when I want" he growled. "There's still a lot I have to do to get what I want".

Bommer folded his arms over his chest, following Kiryu's line of sight to the clouded heavens drifting towards their territory.

"Why are you fighting under Godwin's force if this City is responsible for the Reverse that took away your friends and family?" he asked.

"So that nothing similar can happen ever again" Kiryu snarled in a low tone.

A brief glance followed from Bommer; it still amazed him how his friend could possess two sides of himself so completely different - a seemingly carefree boy, full of mischief, united with a man of tragedy and hatred, scorned by the past that had transformed him from the person he had been prior to the Reverse.

"They're due for another one…" the muscular giant mumbled.

"Huh?" Kiryu sounded, looking at Bommer with a faint look of surprise.

"S-ZERO…" the taller added. "The first Reverse took place six years ago. Then the second that killed you was four years ago. The last was two years ago. Do you reckon Godwin will continue the trend and strike again? There are still rebels in that place, after all".

Kiryu clenched his fist, glaring ahead with renewed abhor shining in his eyes and gritted teeth. "He better not" he snarled. "There's nothing left there anyway. Satellite died a long time ago, there's nothing left to kill".

* * *

><p>The door to Godwin's office slid open, granting access to a short man with greying curled hair and the face of a clown. He strode through the opening casually, a good friend of the Director and his right-hand man. Behind him, a much taller individual sporting short brunette hair and a beard of the same shade, dressed in a black suit followed quickly. Godwin was seated at his desk, ignoring the two until they halted in front of it, both saluting their leader.<p>

The grey-suited man lifted his head, seeming to smile briefly at the two with a flicker of the corner of his mouth; gone as quickly as it appeared. He rose to meet with them, flicking his fingers downwards to signal they could drop their hands.

"Director Godwin, I've brought Hideo Izayoi who requested a meeting with you" the short man announced.

"Thank you, Jeager" the Director replied. "I'd like for you to stay during this little meeting.

Jeager lifted his eyebrows, surprised by the Director's offer; this wasn't unusual to the assistant, he was often invited to stay during conferences, but he was aware that Ushio had also been held back during a meeting with a soldier earlier in the day. Godwin directed his attention back to the equally tall man.

"Senator Izayoi, how are you today?" he asked casually.

"I'm well, Director" the man replied quickly. "Although I am anxious to know the progress on finding Z-ONE".

"We have a new operation about to get underway" Godwin answered. "It will be the movement 'Havilah'".

"'Havilah'?" the senator repeated. "Godwin, what are you planning to do?"

"We have a volunteer who is going to travel to an area that is suspected to be hiding Z-ONE" Godwin explained. "Once we receive word from that individual on the genuineness over the belief that those people are hiding in that deserted area, we can formulate a plot to return the captured souls to their families. Including the one whom you have lost".

Hideo let out a heavy breath, clenching his fists and dropping his eyes towards the ground. "Aki…"

"Yes, your treasured daughter; we will get her back" Godwin insisted with a smile. "It won't be long before your family is reunited".

"I'm trusting you, Godwin" Hideo growled. "My wife and I have been desperate to know Aki's state ever since she left the City. We can't believe she would be drawn into a place like that".

"Fear not, you're not the only one whose children have vanished" Godwin sighed. "You remember the twins that were mentioned in a report that sparked the national search; their parents are still waiting in the Tops for their return".

Hideo's clenched fists rose, pulsing with frustration and his fury peaking. His eyes flashed with the same hatred burning in many of C-INF's people, the same look that Godwin had seen In Sherry's eyes.. Burning like the fuel that operated his military.

"Godwin, I promise you, once Z-ONE has been found, I must go there" Hideo insisted firmly. "It's possible that they've brainwashed Aki; she might try to resist leaving. They could easily turn what happened that day against us and exaggerate a minor misunderstanding. I cannot allow them to take my daughter from me any more. I must go".

"I understand" Godwin muttered solemnly. "You will be the first to know when Z-ONE has been discovered and it is safe to send you in. For now, I need you to simply report that Havilah is about to commence. The plan itself must remain secret; the media cannot be trusted, they seem to be faltering right now. It seems their confidence in us is slipping and accusations are being made that we cannot handle finding nor dealing with Z-ONE. I must prove them wrong with my own hands and resources; until I can accomplish that, it's possible they'll turn any scrap of information into publicity against us".

"The news will not leak from me" Hideo affirmed. "I promise you, Director, if it means getting my daughter back, I would give up my voice entirely until I could see her face once more".

"Thank you, Izayoi-san".

Hideo saluted, turned and departed from the office, leaving Jeager alone with his superior. The small man grinned with his bright red lips parting, revealing the somewhat jagged teeth that consisted of his jaws.

"He does not know exactly what other motives there are for finding Z-ONE, does he?" he chuckled.

"I cannot confess that to him; it would put him in danger of Yliaster militants" Godwin sighed. "That is why I believe the LeBlancs were murdered, be it through Yliaster's agents or Psychics - they were learning too much. I value Izayoi as a member of the government, I cannot possibly put his life in jeopardy and risk leaving his wife a widow and her child still missing".

"Are you sure you're not getting too sentimental?" Jeager sniggered.

Irritation flashed across Godwin's face. "Are you sure you don't want me to deport you back to the rock you crawled out of?" he hissed.

Jeager froze, yelping in terror quickly at the prospect of being sent back to an area devastated by the Reverse closest to C-INF's boundaries. The dwarfish man dropped to his knees, bowing quickly with panicked pleas of forgiveness. Godwin turned his back on the display.

"Has Clark Smith reported?" he asked.

Jeager halted his apologising and rose to his feet, dusting off his knees and pressing his arms against his side. "Not yet, sir. Is that report what stands between us and Havilah beginning?"

"Clark Smith is the best analyst we have; the operation essentially depends on his information" Godwin murmured. "While you may believe that finding Izayoi's daughter is something that I place as a sentimental motive, based on his account of what happened on the day she began to change, it's possible that… she could be a Signer".

"Oh" Jeager squeaked. "A- A Signer? She had been living in the City for years, close to this office and she may have been a Signer all along?"

Godwin's eyes narrowed. "I believe she awoke as a Signer that day. But with her missing, possibly in the grasp of Z-ONE, it will be impossible to find out".

* * *

><p>"Ruka" Rua called cheerfully as he burst through the door of his home, a large smile printed on his face. "Ruka!"<p>

The boy calmed himself when he recognised the dimness that had engulfed the room around him; the curtains had been drawn shut and there was no sign of movement. The smile reversed into a frown once the boy's eyes fell onto the still figure seated on the sofa nearby, facing the direction he stood. In the centre, a young girl with a build identical to his, hair of the same shade hung around her neck, fringe obscuring her eyes. The outfit she was dressed in resembled his; the pink jacket bearing short sleeves hung over a maroon jumper whose arms reached her wrists, the trainers she wore bore pink markings in the place of blue. Rua relaxed himself while gathering pass occurrences such as the present moment and stepped slowly towards the girl almost identical to him in every feature.

That wasn't entirely true; there were many difference between them.

Rua closed in on the girl, lifting his hands to her cheeks, gently pressing them against the edge of her jawbone and raising them, bringing her head with them. The face that he found was dull and unemotional, her eyes were blank without any sign of life. Rua frowned, his hands dropped immediately to her shoulders, roughly shaking her fragile body.

"Ruka" he cried. "Ruka!"

The girl shuddered underneath the gravity of Rua's hands, shivering while returning to her senses. Her head dropped slightly, raising again mere seconds later with a puzzled light shining behind her eyes; a sign that she had awoken at the sound of her brother's voice.

"Ru- Rua…" she breathed uneasily.

"You worried me there for a moment" Rua sighed, smiling at the return of his sister. "You should learn not to do that…"

Ruka didn't reply immediately, but underneath Rua's firm grip, her shoulders began to shake. The brother's eyes rose, finding his sister's face glowing with tears streaming down her cheeks, regret flashing across her guilty eyes. She leaned forward, closing her gently, allowing more of the cold tears to slip free, routinely falling from her chin and splashing onto Rua's exposed arms.

"I'm sorry" she whispered shakily. "I didn't mean to, Rua… I- I'm scared…"

Rua recognised his sister's distraught state and thrust his upper half forward, wrapping his arms around her protectively, bringing her face close to his chest while keeping his chin inches from the top of her skull. His right hand stroked Ruka's back, a soft gesture; all he could do to ease her anguish, all while cursing his helplessness. His eyes skipped to the curtains blocking the sunlight; it seemed as though praying would soon be no longer enough.

* * *

><p>Amongst the shadows of one of the church's more isolated chambers, José stood against the wall, his eyes tracing the ray of light that slipped in through the small window placed high in the wall above his head. In one hand, he held a mobile communication device, similar to a mobile phone, but without the keys to enter a number, rather its resembled a transparent monitor pressed on top of the plastic back. José's eyes, however, weren't on the device pressed against his right ear, but on the light, waiting for the sound of the voice answering on the other end. Eventually, the droning tone came to an end, giving the elderly bishop hope.<p>

"_Hello?"_ a voice spoke down the line.

"Aporia, it's been a while" José stated, smiling briefly underneath the thick metallic mask.

"_José? I know not to expect a call from you unless something major has happened"_ Aporia commented with a vaguely surprised tone. _"Is something wrong?"_

"No, nothing like that" José mumbled. "But… you could be right about the former point. Something has come to my attention. Or rather… someone".

"_Huh?"_ Aporia sounded. _"What do you mean? José?"_

José lifted his left hand in which he held a photograph between his thumb, forefinger and middle finger, examining the shot taken from a security camera placed inside the church. The image was a close-up of Yusei while leaning against his large hands, Jack's head and shoulders visible in the bottom while the blonde had desperately tried to awaken his friend. The signs of Yusei's strange illness were visible on his face, even to the camera; the droplets of sweat that had built on his forehead, the dark circles underneath his eyes, the exhausted expression he wore. They were all signs that pointed José in the direction to believing something was truly surrounding the young man that would make him significant.

"_José? Are you still there?"_ Aporia's voice called down the line, breaking José from his thoughts.

The elderly man returned his eyes in the direction of the device, having lost himself for a moment, and then back to the shot held in front of him.

"You spoke with Placido and Lucciano about those Signers before; you said that you believed they would com soon" he continued. "Well, it might not be a Signer, but I believe there is something different about a boy that arrived the night before last. He seemed to pass out after he was directed to the image of Zone in the church; that hasn't happened before, it must mean something".

"_Are you telling me you want me to return and examine this boy?"_ Aporia asked.

"That is up to you, sir" José replied. "I'm not going to deny you your duty for the sake of a child that could simply turn out to be ill".

"_The argument for an ill child showing a secret power isn't out of the question"_ Aporia noted. _"Ruka, the twin girl, she shows peculiar abilities; didn't we originally believe she was the one that could reach Zone?"_

"I suppose it isn't beyond belief to consider Zone using a female as His avatar in this world" José murmured. "But are you suggesting you believe this boy could be it?"

"_I can say nothing until I have visited the boy myself and assessed all there is to"_ Aporia answered. _"I shall return soon; this matter intrigues me. Have you others returned yet?"_

José shook his head as though Aporia would notice it. "I'm afraid not, but you know what they are like. They'll probably return with all kinds of Signer candidates" he grumbled.

"_That's not the only reason they travel; you can't forget that they, too, have suffered because of the Reverses happening"_ Aporia insisted.

"I do…" José sighed. "After all, most people here have. I am no exception; I am not special to have avoided them. They haunt the nights of every single soul within this place. I trust that Zone will care for them, but I'm also puzzled as to why He would let in children with these strange powers; does He know if they are to play a greater role Or at least suspect it?"

"_It could be"_ Aporia replied. _"I'll be back in Z-ONE in a few days. José, I'm leaving everything to you until then"._

"I won't disappoint you, old friend" José insisted with a stronger tone of voice, somewhat excited and privileged.

The two both cut their connection, José pressed down on a transparent key stretching across the bottom of the device, removing the name engraved along the top and resulting in the monitor vanishing entirely. His fingers tightened around the device and eyes falling back onto the photograph, centring on the collapsed Yusei; he wasn't one to obsess over the hunt for the Five Signers, people rumoured to be able to harness the powers of the Five Dragons, he cared more for simply rescuing as many people as possible from the wrath of the government. Finding the Signers was simply a bonus; after all, the government _were_ obsessed with finding those key people, but they could do nothing without taking control of Z-ONE. That was impossible while it was deemed a religious district, forbidding the military under Director Godwin's control from entering. It was that appeal of peace that drew in travellers, only a fraction actually making it to the secluded area, those chosen by Zone to live under his care.

Which made José all the more curious about the dark-haired teenager that had appeared with his only friend; could it actually be possible that Zone had allowed him into Z-ONE so that he could fulfil a greater role?

* * *

><p><em>Exhausted child. Suffering girl. Scorned woman. All suffering, all fighting to know whether to live or not. Something must wait ahead for them to continue breathing. "03-Eve's Shadow".<em>


	3. Eve's Shadow

**Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's - 05-Dragon**

by Yusei

_**Summary - **"AU. _Yusei and Jack, after years of searching, find the legendary Z-ONE, a utopia for all. However, there are other forces after the two and this paradise, ready to invade and spark an all-out war against the other world_"._

_**Disclaimer – **__I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's or any of the characters._

_**A/N – **It's probably clear, but there are going to be pairings hinted throughout this, more that will be clear in this chapter, though how they turn out will be seen in time. They've already been planned out, but I'd like to hear people's opinions on how the story, as well as the bonds between characters, is developing__. Please read and review._

* * *

><p><em>Hideo Izayoi paced around in an oval path, mobile phone pressed against his ear, chattering with his colleague over some private matter. His wife was seated nearby, a pale fist pressed against her rounded chest, wrinkles of worry building underneath her eyes while watching her equally-anxious husband's repetitive stroll around the room. On the other side of the opposite wall, a young Izayoi Aki peered through the narrow gap between the door and its frame, eyes shivering with anxious glimmers. The peculiar behaviour of her father disturbed her; he seemed to be anxious over a decision that the government had been in the process of debating for some time. As a senator, he held a seat in the political elite of Neo-Domino and the surrounding areas. The job only kept him from his family, and much of the time he spent with them was filled with calls from the offices; the latest matter not helping in the least.<em>

_Finally, her frustrated father pressed his thumb against the keypad, ending the call. Aki smiled, about to pull open the door, when her mother's voice interjected, drawing the senator to her side. The man dropped onto the sofa, leaning back and unleashing a heavy sigh, the woman laid her hands out onto his._

"_Dear, you're pushing yourself too hard" she lamented._

_Hideo smiled tiredly at his wife. "Don't worry, Setsuko. I'm fine; it's all for you anyway" he murmured softly, raising his hand, fingers brushing his wife's jawbone. "All I do is for you and Aki"._

"_But… could it be true?" the woman sobbed, verging on anxious tears. "Are the government really that brutal? What if Aki knew that this impending destruction could be because her father was working hard for her? She may never forgive us…"_

"_I'm not fond of the idea of the Reverse either" Hideo sighed. "But Director Godwin is concerned about criminal activity going on in the area"._

"_But how does that justify the Reverse?" Setsuko cried._

"_I don't know, but Director Godwin isn't a man of destruction. Especially without cause" Hideo sighed._

_Setsuko's head sank, her eyes tumbling to the floor with a guilty dampness about them; throughout Aki's childhood, she sulked and frowned, either feeling alone while her husband was dealing with political matters or distressed when one was presented that she refused to support. The Reverse was easily one._

"_But… destroying Satellite…" she muttered._

_Aki's smile diminished; as a child of the City's richest area, she knew little about Satellite. Destruction, however, was another matter. Was what her mother saying truth? Was her father involved in a plot to destroy Satellite? But what about the people there? The girl's eyes shuddered with fear; horrified that her father, of all people, could be dealing with such an issue, let alone actually consider it. And to blame her for it…_

_The girl pressed her hands either side of her temple, shaking it furiously while trying to rid the tears that filled her eyes. Her lids closed over them, teeth clenched and throat tightened to keep her distress locked away. The girl could see it in her mind's eye; columns of flames ripping through homes, people screaming and fleeing, their lives ending in the most horrific chaos. Children like her would become smouldering corpses, or left without parents, living on the streets and barely alive. The mental interpretations became too much and Aki flung herself forward without even thinking, bursting through the doors._

_Hideo and Setsuko gasped while their heads snapped in the direction of their daughter, tears streaming through her defences, conceding and opening her blurred eyes._

"_Papa, no!" she cried. "Please, don't do it!"_

_Setsuko raised a hand to her mouth, stunned in her realisation that Aki had heard the conversation; she had let slip the drastic plan, despite the fact that the two agreed they would tell the child that a natural disaster hit Satellite. The girl sobbed, pressing her small hands against her chest and inhaling quicker and deeper breaths than normal. Hideo rose from his seat, sighing heavy-heartedly; there was no hiding the truth from her any longer._

"_Aki, please…" he whispered gently. "Listen, let's talk about this"._

"_No, because…" Aki sobbed. "Because Papa's going to become a murderer! Papa's going to destroy Satellite!"_

"_Aki!" Hideo pleaded, stepping towards her. This was more than an eleven-year old girl should have to handle._

_The girl shrank, curling up tighter with each step towards her that the man took, his brown eyes fixed upon her small body anxiously. He didn't stop until he towered over her, slowly lowering himself to one knee and laid a hand on his back._

"_There, there, Aki" he whispered tentatively. "I didn't mean to upset you. It's just…"_

_"You're a liar, Papa" Aki protested, throwing her head up to unveil the soaked and reddened face. "You're going to hurt so many people when you destroy Satellite"._

"_Aki, please, listen to me" Hideo called, lowering his left hand gradually towards the cheek of his daughter's face._

"_No!" Aki yelled, slapping her father's descending hand away. Hideo froze at the sudden violent temperament his child had adopted, the girl glaring at him through her tearful eyes. "I hate you!"_

"_Aki" Hideo snapped, grabbing her arm. "You've got to calm down now"._

"_No. No!" Aki protested, struggling against her father's firm grip. "Let me go. Get away from me!"_

"_Dear…" Setsuko whimpered._

"_We have to deal with this" Hideo growled to his wife. "There's no avoiding it any longer". His head rotated back to the thrashing girl. "Aki, cease this now; you're better than this"._

"_I said leave me alone!" Aki yelled._

_Without even thinking, Hideo made the mistake. A clapping reverberated throughout the room. The three Izayois remained still while the shock sunk in; Setsuko with her hands pressed over her mouth, Hideo remained on one knee with his hand raised in the air and Aki with her face turned from the couple, left cheek glowing from where she had been struck. Hideo's hand trembled while the man gazed in horror, eyes fixed on the throbbing blush._

_Aki retreated a step, pressing her left hand against her glowing cheek, wincing at the mere touch of it. Hideo trembled, his mouth hanging open in guilty shock._

"_A- Aki, I'm so sorry" he whimpered. "I never meant to-"_

"_Papa has changed…" the girl hissed. Her head rose to unveil her piercing auburn eyes. "Papa isn't who he acted like before; he's a violent person"._

"_What?" Hideo gasped breathlessly. "Aki, how could you say such things?"_

"_Because it's true, isn't it?" Aki growled. "You don't care about anyone but yourself. So long as you have this great house, you don't care for anyone else"._

"_You live here too, don't you criticise me for my lifestyle when you share it" Hideo hissed._

"_I'd rather live in somewhere like Satellite and not have someone evil like you for a father" Aki hollered in retaliation. "I bet there are kids with better fathers there; I'd leave here in a heartbeat and find one better than you!"_

_Hideo raised his hand, about to strike the girl again. Bitter tears clung to the corners of the girl's eyes, mixed with the narrowed eyes and clenched teeth that completed a truly hateful expression. As Hideo's hand fell, the girl screamed out, causing a disaster she never meant to happen._

_Flames rose up from the gap between herself and her father, an invisible force launching him back, crashing into the sofa that toppled over, and taking her mother with it. The two cried out while they suffered. Aki raised a loosely clenched fist beside her chin, the flames waving in front of her pale legs and eyes wide with terror. Her eyes were peeled from her climbing parents by a strange red glow emitting from her arm. The girl stared at the phenomenon in horror, draining her face of colour. As the light faded, a peculiar symbol in the shape of a long, narrow animal claw was left behind in its place, the chaos surrounding the three vanishing simultaneously with the glow._

_With the destructive forces gone, Setsuko and Hideo picked themselves up, trembling with fear, Setsuko's hands on Hideo's shoulders, the man one knee. Aki clutched the marked arm, staggering closer towards her parents, heavy tears remained on the edge of her eyes._

"_Papa… help me…" she whimpered. "What's happening?"_

"_Aki… st- stay back" Hideo yelped. "You called me cruel, but you're a monster!"_

"_Dear!" Setsuko cried. "Don't say things like that!"_

_Aki's world shattered around her frail body, shivering as though an earthquake struck. "I'm a… monster?"_

_The girl leaned forward, clutching her arm and wailing immediately, the tears streaming down her face as though they were rivers that would never run dry. Hideo stammered, trying to plead to his daughter that his choice of words was a clumsy mistake and he meant nothing of it. But she had none of it, before he could manage to speak even her name, she darted from the room, sobbing continuously into the scars that never healed._

* * *

><p><strong>03-Eve's Shadow<strong>

The magenta-haired woman who had experienced that day sat alone in the enormous garden in a peaceful area of Z-ONE, situated behind much o the residential sections so as not to disturb the wide array of blooming flowers. While seated on her knees, her fist clenched, recalling that day and the aftermath of it; drifting further from her parents without any chance of reconciliation. The woman pulled her teeth from her bottom lip, releasing her frustrated expression for a much calmer one. The rose garden had that effect on her; it reminded her of better times - before that day and after leaving home. The young woman sighed in and exhaled a deeper breath than normal.

"Divine…" she heaved.

A shadow stretched over the greenery, slipping over plates of grass and petals of the roses lined either side of the grassy aisle. The shadowy figure halted, its duplicate hanging over the young woman's back, the upper features overlapping her flat copy. The woman gasped at the sight of an intruder and twisted her head, jumping up skilfully, landing on her feet and facing the arrival using her reflexes alone. Her face softened when she realised she was far from danger, her auburn eyes softened upon noticing the man standing in front of her. Yusei simply offered a smile to her, grateful she had calmed down before blindly attacking.

"Who are you?" the woman asked.

"I'm sorry, I never meant to startle you. You just seemed a bit lonely" the boy replied. "Fudo Yusei".

"You came to keep me company? You approached a stranger for my sake?" the girl murmured anxiously. "I- I'm sorry, I never meant to accuse you of anything. My name is Izayoi Aki…"

"Izayoi?" Yusei repeated, tilting his head. "I think I heard that name when I was young. It must have been before the Reverse".

Aki gasped, setting her widened eyes on Yusei's face. "You- You're from Satellite, right?"

Yusei nodded in response, oblivious to the guilty past of the woman. She lowered her head, setting her downcast eyes on the grass between them; she had encountered people who had fled from the City following the Reverse, no longer willing to be associated with it, but… no-one from Satellite had made it from the ruins of their home. She couldn't possibly confess to Yusei where he had heard her name; there was a great chance he'd turn on her for her father's involvement in the disasters; directly voting within the committee over whether or not to go through with the immoral purge. By her side, her right arm shivered, stopping only when Yusei's hand grabbed it gently. Aki froze, casting her eyes down at his grasp and then to his face, regardless, the boy smiled at her; as though he was aware what was on her mind and silently worked at accepting her apology with blind forgiveness.

"I…" Aki whispered.

He reminded her of Divine. The same soft features that he smiled at her with.

Just as a faint blush; partially of embarrassment and partially of some other emotion, crept into Aki's cheeks, her right arm throbbed; exactly where the strange marking had appeared on her arm those years ago. She pulled back, feeling the muscles crying out and stretching themselves with a mind of their own. Simultaneously, Yusei pressed his right hand against his head, another of the sharp dagger-like piercing headaches cut into the edge of his head, stretching from the bottom of his bangs' roots across to the back of his head. Aki retreated a step, glaring with one open eye at the arm, left wondering why it was behaving strangely; it had only stung this way once before. Meanwhile, Yusei dropped to his knees, groaning quietly in a poor bid to keep the young woman from panicking further or even blaming herself.

Nevertheless, her pain quickly calmed, leaving no trace of the episode. She twisted her arm, ensuring that nothing remained out of the ordinary. Free of the strange pain, her eyes dropped to Yusei, whose left eye glared at the ground, the remained of his face screwed up in agony. Aki quickly dropped to her knees, laying her hands onto his shoulders.

"Is everything alright?" she asked quickly. "Should I get one of the bishops?"

"N- No…" Yusei grunted. "It's alright. It should subside soon".

"So… you've had this before?" the woman whispered.

"Ever since I left Satellite" Yusei mumbled. "We're not sure what causes them or why they started after we left, but it doesn't matter. I'm alright".

Aki relaxed herself, removing her hands gradually from Yusei's shoulders and dropping them onto her knees, watching him with a spark of fascination; a survivor from Satellite. Someone who had managed to crawl out from the ruins her father had left in his wake. A tear built in her eyes while she watched, imagining if Yusei had crouched in the same way back then, clutching his head, bleeding and his face soaked with cold tears while flames surrounded him. Her hands crossed over, wrapping themselves around her arms, as though she were hugging herself to deal with the guilt alone when no-one else could. Yusei's head rose slowly, catching the sight with an equal level of intrigue.

"Are you alright, Izayoi?" he asked, voice barely louder than an ordinary breath.

"Were there…" Aki whispered shakily. "Were there others that survived with you? Did you leave Satellite on your own?"

Yusei smiled; he'd seen this once before. In Rua, there was a soul tormented by guilt that belonged to someone else; a parent who had shrugged off human feeling and unintentionally dropped it onto the shoulders of their child. Aki was no different, clearly she was from the City, but he still remained in the dark regarding just how involved her lineage was.

"Yes" he answered. Aki's head rose to meet his, her eyes wide with surprise and a glimmer that he believed was an ounce of hope shining inside of her. "My friend, Jack Atlus. He's here with me".

"You made it?" Aki asked, staring at the dark-haired boy in awe. "Both of you?"

Yusei nodded. He lifted his left hand, supporting his body solely on his knees and laid it onto Aki's right shoulder. There was no explanation for the sudden bursts of pain that the two experienced at once, but that didn't matter; even if it were to happen again. The girl was exactly the same as Rua, she needed realising from her self-torment. Aki gazed into his eyes, finding the same warmth that waited in Divine's eyes every time they met.

"I'd like to know more about you" Yusei muttered. "If you'd let me. Placido told me that much of the community is likely to know almost everyone here. Jack and I were hoping we could be welcomed and be a part of that".

A light breeze swept through, ruffling their pair's hairstyles, though it was all as distant from Aki as the people she had left behind while she was staring into the face of this strange survivor, touched by his unusual concern and the hand he opened for no given reason.

* * *

><p>Jack returned to the temple, his boots clapping against the stone flooring underneath the Five Dragons' statues, the girl identified as Carly Nagisa remained kneeling in front of the Red Demon sculpture. He had picked up on the fact that there were two doors either side of the collection; one beyond the floral tips of Black Rose's wings, the other to the edge of Life Stream. Upon each door was a mirrored symbol; what resembled the sign of omega; an incomplete blood-red circle bearing miniature features; wings sprouting from the top, claws protruding the curved belly, what may have been a head snarling towards the tail that resembled a face. In the front claw of the creature, a strange curved symbol with three circles on top. The peculiar symbol was repeated in the centre of the circular pattern in the stone slab fixed directly in the centre of the stone arch surrounding the door beside Black Rose, the tail face set in the centre on the slab next to Life Stream.<p>

The blonde moved forward a step, curious of the two doorways apparently sealed, puzzled as to why they would have been closed if they had something to do with the dragon-like emblem. Carly remained as still as a statue herself, drawing the violet eyes of the man back to her, pacing forward. The girl remained deaf to his advance, her hands clutching on another in front of her closed eyes, rounded glasses laid out on the floor in front of her. As Jack neared, he could hear her mutterings.

"… Even my sight, I would surrender in exchange for forgiveness…" she whispered. "Each day I'm haunted by the face of that child, thinking of how many may have starved because of me… because I was so selfish as to try to keep only myself alive…"

Jack narrowed his eyes, tilting his head backwards towards the head of the towering beast, much more muscular than its comrades. Placido's voice invaded his head while keeping his eyes fixed on the creature's opened jaws.

"_The Red Demon represents forgiveness and moving on, it was the one she turned to first, in order to repent for her crimes"._ His eyes narrowed while wondering how long she had been praying, crying over and over for the dragon to show her a sign that she had been forgiven. _"But it seems she refuses to accept a simple apology, she wishes to continue to repent until she no longer recognises herself as the girl that committed those crimes"._

"It's useless…" he murmured automatically.

Carly flinched and her chanting ceased immediately. Her body shivered and hands jumped forward to seize the spectacles laying in front of her, fixing them onto her face and twisting with a fearful shiver to find the blonde man towering over her; someone she had never seen before, speaking with a bitter tone and denouncing her constant prayers as pointless.

"Wh- Who are you?" she whimpered.

"Don't worry, I won't bring you any trouble" Jack murmured. "My name is Jack Atlus; I just arrived here a couple of days ago".

"You came here… seeking protection?" Carly asked timidly.

"Pretty much" Jack sighed, raising his eyes to the dragon in front of them once more. "But I won't pray for it, I'll find it myself". Carly's eyebrows rose while listening to the indirect advice the new arrival was presenting before her, Jack's, on the other hand, fell to taper his eyes and strengthen his gaze towards the dragon. "If I spend everyday praying, then I lose another day of my life to find what I'm seeking. Soon, years will pass and nothing will have been accomplished, I'll still be searching for what I could have found long ago. The only way to find protection is to seek it out; that's why Yusei and I travelled, somehow finding this place. We made it happen; not by praying, but through action".

Carly watched the blonde man in awe, aware of what he was saying and how he was using his own situation in order to link the two of them; show her how similar they were, and yet, how greatly they differed. The girl shivered, pushing her knees from the ground and gradually rising to stand at her full height, the peak of her head still a short distance below Jack's shoulders. The pale man turned to her, finding a smile imprinted on her face.

"Thank you" she whispered. "I cannot solely find what I'm seeking, but I understand what you're saying. That I've got to fight for myself. But still… these Dragons have never rejected me, I come here out of gratitude as much as I do guilt". She returned her eyes to the beast in front of them, widening her vision in order to capture aspects of the Black Rose beside the creature as well as Stardust's shimmering wing. "I will continue to come here, regardless of what you say".

"But you'll be spending your life in the shadows, asking for help that higher powers will be deaf to" Jack murmured.

Carly shook her head gently. "Not entirely, I know that they have heard me, and in a time of great need, they would hear me again" she insisted brightly. "I will work on my own, but I will not abandon the bodies of those that have done so much for me. They say that people are guided here and granted access because Zone chooses them, I want to thank Him and His Dragons in order to prove that I have reformed from the person I was".

Jack glanced at the girl in the corner of his eyes; it was as Placido had stated previously, she was continuingly trying to wash away the crimes that would be attached to her name and face, cleanse herself in order to deem herself worthy of living under Zone's divine protection. He slipped his hands into his pockets, his eyes travelled over the different textures of the dragon's stony skin.

"Then at least live while you're at it" he grunted. "Zone wouldn't have brought you here to hide away and pray forever. If he wanted that, He could have left you behind to get arrested. But that's not the case… He brought you here to have a life outside".

Carly leaned forward, watching Jack curiously, touched by his concern for someone whom he had never seen prior to the morning, aware that his friend had left him in search of what else Z-ONE had to offer. While they were separated, they continued to exist together - exactly what he was working so hard to tell her. A meek smile brightened the bottom of her face, throwing her hands around his right wrist and drawing his face down to hers.

"Then… show me" she chirped. "Show me what world outside you've learned to endure. Remind me what it's like to live".

Jack watched her with a touch of bewilderment in his face, but quickly brushing it aside, he smiled at her faintly. It was as though he were back in Satellite with Yusei, hiding in the shadows of the chaos that had torn their young lives apart and striving to remember what living was.

* * *

><p>In the centre of the Security Headquarters, Sherry sighed, patting her hair down with her naked pale hands; her attire differed greatly from the tight outfit she was used to wearing. She pulled away and stepped into the mirror, examining her reflection; in the place of her pale outfit resembling a pilot's suit, she wore a tattered white hooded coat that hung loose around her, her fingers hanging out from the wide gaps at the ends of the sleeves and drooped over the tops of her thighs. A short black skirt ended barely any lower than the coat, long white stockings climbed up her legs, accompanied by black boots to complete the greyscale ensemble. Sagiri Mikage, the short blue-haired woman fiddling with a narrow strip of the woman's long golden locks, weaving them into a plait that would hang beside her face, the rest curled into a messy ponytail pinned against the back of her skull.<p>

"LeBlanc-san" the blue-haired secretary to the Director muttered feebly. "Are you anxious about your journey?"

"No" Sherry replied bluntly, keeping her eyes focused on their doppelgangers. "I have a purpose behind this mission; I'll not let Director Godwin, or my parents, down".

A small frown developed on Mikage's face, her eyes falling from her model's head and to the tips of her locks laying on her pale hands.

"It must have been difficult…" she whispered guiltily. "We heard all about the French civil war… I'm sorry, I shouldn't bring that kind of thing up".

"It's alright" Sherry answered, closing her eyes firmly. "It was difficult; my parents' death effectively started that war, but… Otou-san told me that he would fulfil his role as a parent". Her eyes opened gradually, stopping halfway to watch her exposed right hand floating in front of her, no longer clenched into a fist, but open, as though offering it to someone, or waiting for her father's fingers to brush the centre of it like a fortune-teller. "He told me that a parent's duty was to protect their children, even if it cost them their life. Otou-san did all he could to protect me, and it's because of him that I'm alive now".

"But…" Mikage breathed. "Didn't you arrive on the day of the terrorist attack on the edge of the country?"

"It's because of me that that bombing happened" Sherry muttered bitterly. "There were many French refugees on that plane; myself and Mizoguchi included. People were determined to keep themselves safe and stop the French from launching an attack against Japan… but…"

_There had been several explosions throughout the airport that day; people screaming and flying, corpses strewn across the wide floors and blood splatters wildly thrown against the walls. Thick black smoke lingered around the terminals, luggage thrown around and the remains of trolleys rattling. The young blonde girl who survived amongst it all remained on all fours, her emerald eyes wide with terror, blood slathered on her left cheek and her hair matted._

"…they killed people of their own country to stop us…"

Mikage paused, raising her eyes once more to Sherry's soft face, recognising the features of sorrow and regret; even years later, while wearing a stone mask, the blonde woman was haunted by the memories of the slaughtered designed to murder her.

"I never saw Mizoguchi after it started" she choked, her voice barely audible, even to Mikage whose ears were a number of inches from Sherry's shoulder. "He gave up everything to save me… maybe even his life".

"But what does this have to do with Havilah?" Mikage inquired.

"Apparently, the people suspected of killing my parents and sparking the civil war were from a group known as 'Yliaster'" Sherry replied without moving her eyes to the woman. "Godwin explained to me when we met that Yliaster is a religion worshipped in Z-ONE. Not to mention that there's evidence the assassins were people with Psychic powers".

"'Psychic powers'?" Mikage gasped.

"Yes" Sherry answered bluntly. "There was once an association named the Arcadia Movement that apparently took in people with these kinds of powers. They dispersed and fled after the Reverse began, worried that they were targeted by the bombings. I believe that Z-ONE is sheltering them… or at least some".

"So your journey is solely revenge" Mikage murmured softly, crossing over the ends of Sherry's hairs, slipping a small band over them and twisting it to secure the strands' tips.

Sherry didn't respond immediately, although her mirrored eyes shifted sharply to Mikage's blind face, the gentle woman's golden eyes remained focused on their task, a small smile grew onto her face with the completion of her minor task. She was unharmed, she had no idea of how cruel history had been, the bloodshed witnessed by innocent children. Those of Satellite, those of France. She was effectively an alien to the blonde woman's mental world; someone whose skin remained white rather stained with the stinking blood of dead relatives, friends and strangers, eyes clear of what the end of life looked like. The woman's fingers brushed down Sherry's plaited strip, her fingertips briefly testing the strength of each twist, all passing the test.

"There, you're ready" she announced with a motherly tone. "Are you leaving immediately?"

"When Godwin gives me the word" Sherry replied. "Then I can have my revenge. But… at the same time, everyone else can find peace". The additional motive froze Mikage, her large eyes blinking silently while examining the edge of the young woman's face. "I don't fight solely for revenge; I truly believe that the souls of my parents and everyone else who died as a result of Yliaster and the Psychics will remain restless until those people atone for their sins. What God commands them to slaughter innocent people, even those of their own kind?"

Mikage had no response, her nimble hands dropped in front of her white skirt and her eyes fell, disappointed with herself for being unable to continue the conversation with the scarred woman. Sherry rose from the seat placed in front of the mirror and turned away without checking the completely plait, striding towards the door. Her hand grabbed the knob with a great deal of force and ripped the door open, though she hesitated rather than storming out immediately.

"Thank you" she muttered.

Mikage flinched, shocked by the sudden gratitude and turned to the woman standing with the glassy sunlight pouring over her form, creating a shadow duplicate over the royal blue carpet.

"It looks nice" the blonde added without even glancing back at the suited woman. "You did a good job".

Mikage was almost lost in awe while Sherry departed, grateful for the compliment. She pressed a limp fist against her chest and smiled gently, touched by the stern woman's pause just to pass on the message. Perhaps she hadn't experienced loss or disaster, but she was alive in this world nonetheless; there was no guarantee that she wouldn't suffer sooner or later. It was a danger that came with living; to be hurt, to suffer. Death would only pass those onto people acquainted with the departed. There was a never-ending cycle of risk, suffering and departing that could never break. Despite these thoughts, Mikage continued to smile at the empty doorway.

"You're welcome" she whispered warmly.

* * *

><p>Rua grunted while pushing the wheelchair in front of him. Between the straight metal arms, Ruka was seated, clutching a brown furry creature with large emerald eyes and a pink bow wrapped around its scaly tail. The girl remained dressed in her usual attire, taking in all the sights of the district she called home. Although she could walk perfectly, her body often failed her and rendered her too weak to use the tiny legs supporting her, leaving Rua to escort her around the area, though he never complained. The boy did everything his sister ever needed. The two neared the fountain situated in the centre of Z-ONE, the sparkling water revived a childish light in Ruka's eyes and refigured her lips into a small open smile.<p>

"Rua, I'd like to go there" she spoke, pointing towards the watery monument.

"Alright" the brother answered with a bright smile.

Even if he had to transport her, having Ruka outside was enough for him. Her illness hindered them from venturing out much while living in the City, keeping them locked inside for the girl's sake, much to the common frustration of the boy. But once he realised how much she meant to him, he could no longer bear a grudge against her and worked solely in order to help her in any way she needed and care for her until she could be stronger. The wheels of Ruka's mobile seat creaked to a halt beside the concrete fountain, permitting Rua to leave his post and transfer to his sister's side, but before he could accomplish that, she picked herself up and staggered to the edge of the curved structure and seated herself on the edge, leaning back to find her reflection smiling up at her through the clear waters.

Rua joined her immediately, dragging the wheelchair around to stand by his legs hanging over the edge. Just seeing Ruka smile was enough to convince him that everything was worth it, remind himself why they left the City and that there was hope for her growing strong enough to become independent one day.

"Rua, its pretty, isn't it?" Ruka whispered.

Rua twisted his neck, peering down at his calm reflection with a gentle smile of his own, the water sparkled under the warm sunlight, like stars were winking up at them from the depths of the waters running throughout the underground of Z-ONE. Like the neon lights of the City's night streets, the best view coming from their home.

"Yeah" he replied discreetly. "Natural things like this are always beautiful".

Ruka lifted her eyes, beaming towards her brother in the corner of his vision, blind to her averted attention while watching the glimmering waves. Beyond his shoulders, the girl recognised Lucciano heading towards them, his hood vanished and long chestnut locks in a large plait exposed. The green-eyes boy smiled towards the female twin and continued his march towards them.

"You're doing well, judging by the looks of things, Ruka" he stated.

Rua peeled his eyes from his reflection to find the boy bishop standing beside him, his sole exposed eye fixed on the girl on the other side. Ruka's shoulders shuddered while she giggled discreetly.

"Thank you" she replied. "How are you doing at the church? Is everything alright?"

"Yes, I appreciate your concern, but I'm alright, Ruka" Lucciano answered with a grin. "You holding up alright, Rua?"

Rua twisted his upper half, a vaguely surprised look across his face while catching up to comprehend the fact that the young bishop had addressed him. The two were never on bad terms, but the white-clad boy generally focused much more on Ruka, largely due to her mysterious power. As soon as he learned of it, Lucciano became much more interested in the girl, delivering news of her ability to his colleagues, who also monitored her; they claimed it was something that Zone had granted her - a gift that He had trusted within her frail body. The boy tucked his head between his shoulders, somewhat embarrassed by being caught off-guard.

"Y- Yeah" he muttered. "Ruka and I are both doing well".

"Glad to hear it" Lucciano answered with a bright smile. "You shouldn't push yourself too hard".

"I don't; I only push until I reach my limit" Rua mumbled. "I'll do whatever it takes to help Ruka, but I can't go beyond that. I couldn't risk doing something that would put me in harm's way… I don't want her to be left alone".

"Rua…" the sister breathed uncomfortably. "That sounds like-"

"If I were to be admitted to the hospital wing and Ruka was left home alone, then there's no telling what could happen" the brother continued, ignoring his sister's concerns. "I'm not saying she's irresponsible, quite the opposite. It's just… I can't risk her falling ill just because I'm not there to take care of her".

Ruka's eyelids dropped gradually, pausing halfway over her eyes while observing her brother with a guilty expression; he essentially put his life on-hold everyday so that he could pray for her and be there with her should something go wrong. Usually, kids would rather be apart from one another and play with their individual friends, arguing and spitting how they couldn't wait until they moved into separate homes. Rua, however, wasn't like that - he had dedicated the beginning portion of his life to her, rarely snapping out of secret fear that his enraged state could be the last memory she would ever retain of him. The boy's fists clenched tighter over his knees and his eyes sank into the crystal water behind the trio, unable to maintain eye contact with the brunette bishop boy.

"Don't forget" Lucciano added. "I'm here if you need anything; I understand how desperate you are, but you have to have a life of your own".

Rua discreetly bit his lower lip, tightening his throat in order to avoid a response; he was aware of what Lucciano was saying, he didn't plan on attacking it, nor the boy himself; it just hurt to hear that he should distance himself from his frail sister at times, even for brief periods. Privately, he was aware that his mindset had been turned to the darkest mode he was aware of; constantly fearing that his sister could fall ill and perish with ease. It haunted his days and haunted his nights, yet he never confided; he never wanted to confess that there could be a day where she wasn't there for him to care for. Without her, he had no purpose. Lucciano, oblivious to the teal-haired boy's self-torture returned his eyes to the girl seated beyond him.

"Ruka, have you experienced any of those visions you mentioned before?"

Ruka rubbed the lower end of her right arm anxiously, also taking her eyes from the brunette. "Well… there was one earlier. But it was brief, Rua arrived home and I snapped out of it quickly".

"Did you find any answers through it?" Lucciano inquired.

"No. There was nothing" Ruka breathed. "The truth is… I was just waiting in a forest, I didn't get very far before I came back. It puzzled me, but I suppose there wasn't supposed to be a meaning to this one".

"I'm not so sure; every vision you've described before sounds as though it has a meaning. Maybe this one does too" Lucciano replied, cupping his chin thoughtfully. "Maybe it ended too quickly without giving a complete message… or perhaps this one is just vague or clearly hidden. It could take some investigating into understanding what it was trying to tell you".

From the direction the twins had come from, now behind the backs of their heads, Yusei and Aki arrived onto the plaza. The dark-haired man paused as his eyes fell upon the trio at the fountain, remembering Lucciano as one of the bishops at the church and Rua from the Dragons' temple just a couple of hours before. Lucciano captured them in the corner of his vision, but continued to centre on Ruka, who nodded in response to his suggestions.

"I'll work hard to figure out what it could be" she answered. "Perhaps if I can experience another, I can use it to find the meaning to that one".

Lucciano smiled and closed his exposed eye briefly, lifting a hand and patting the girl on the head. Ruka's eyes sank to the concrete ring that she and her brother sat on, blushing lightly at the gently touch of the bishop who looked only slightly older than her brother and herself. While her vision was clouded by the structure underneath them, Lucciano opened his eye again, setting it on Yusei and Aki, who slowly approached the three, smiling peacefully to match the setting around them.

"Is everything alright, Rua?" Yusei asked, centring on the teal-haired boy whose face was tilted downwards towards the sparkling water.

Rua's head snapped upwards, recognising the voice straight away and twisting himself around in order to find Yusei standing nearby, close to Ruka, with Aki a step or two behind him. The boy's dim golden eyes lit up and he leaned towards the pair, smiling happily at the return of the dark-haired man.

"Yusei" he cried joyfully.

Ruka and Lucciano followed the path of the brother's eyes, locking onto Yusei standing beside the curved edge of the fountain, Aki just behind him with a combination of peace and shyness about her. Rua scrambled to his sister's side, his fists just beside her legs, beaming up at the young man. Ruka averted her eyes from the latest arrivals and back to her companions.

"Who is this?" she asked.

"This is Yusei" Rua answered, opening his palm towards the dark-haired adolescent. "He's new in Z-ONE".

Ruka twisted her neck to return to the man. "You came just recently?"

Yusei nodded simply in response, keeping his lips against one another in order to allow Rua to tell the story. Lucciano grinned cheekily and leaned towards the two children, his braided hair slipping over his shoulder.

"We were looking after him before, that's why you never saw him until now" he added.

"Was something wrong?" Ruka asked timidly.

"He was just a little unwell from wandering around in the desert" Lucciano answered.

Ruka offered a small smile towards Yusei. "I'm glad you're alright now" she chirped.

"Thank you" Yusei replied with a gentle smile in return.

"Yusei's cool" Rua added. "When I was praying to the Dragons, he said that he'd pray too. Even though he didn't know who we were, he would pray for you to feel stronger with each day that passes, just like me, Ruka".

"Is that so?" Ruka muttered, a faint blush creeping to the surface of her cheeks. "Th- Thank you…"

Rua smirked at Yusei, realising that he had just indirectly introduced the two to one another, passing their names and opening up the path to a bond forming between the two. Yusei slowly dropped to one knee, putting himself level with Ruka and opened up his gloved right hand, the girl fixed her eyes on it for a moment, then raising them to the young man's face.

"It's nice to meet you, Ruka" he said brightly.

Ruka opened her hand gradually, inching closer to the opened offer in front of her. As her hand crossed over his and inches of air alone separated them, the girl flinched, her vision locking with his, drawn to her dimming eyes. Ruka's pupils vanished, leaving her iris solid as happened each time she experienced the visions that Lucciano had referred to. Her hand dropped onto Yusei's heavily, sending a surge of invisible power through his arm, Yusei's eyebrows lifted from the tops of his sockets and remained fixed to Ruka's, following suit in his eyes darkening. The two were locked in a secret connection, their bodies frozen while they travelled from the scene in the centre of Z-ONE.

Standing over him, Aki grabbed her right arm, feeling a strange sensation. Rua, too, visually examining his right arm briefly, curious as to the unusual tingling he felt. Lucciano's playful demeanour dropped immediately, understanding that something odd was happening in front of his eyes, something that may or may not have been linked to Aki and Rua. He scrambled to Rua's side, watching Yusei and Ruka's bland expressions.

"Oi, oi!" he snapped. "Ruka, wake up!"

"Ruka?" Rua gasped, watching Lucciano with wide eyes and then snapping his neck around towards the pair on the other side of his body. "Ruka. I- is something wrong?"

"It's not just Ruka" Lucciano added, pointing towards the man opposite the girl. "Something's happened to Yusei as well".

"What?" Rua gasped. "Do- does that mean that he has the same power as Ruka?"

Lucciano furrowed his brow in frustration; he had no answers for the boy. Aki leaned forward, dropping her hands light weights onto Yusei's shoulders and began to shake him; initially gently, though growing in ferocity as her anxiety over the two grew swiftly.

"Yusei…" she cried. "Yusei, what's going on? This isn't like what happened before. Yusei, answer me".

The foreigner made no response; he continued staring into Ruka's eyes, just as she did his.

* * *

><p><em>The environment around Yusei when his eyes opened was pale; like a forest with tall trees towering over the clearing he found himself in. He picked himself gradually, feeling the gravity dragging him back towards the soft grass underneath. But his thoughts were far from the unusually heavy physics of the plain, but rather more focused on the loss of reality as soon as Ruka had touched him, leaving him in the centre of this strange place. While picking himself up onto his hands and knees, Yusei grunted, puzzled by the event, leaving him in this unknown place. Yusei shook h is head quickly, raising his eyes to find Ruka standing opposite him, seemingly unfazed by their disappearance.<em>

"_R- Ruka…"_

"_I thought… something was strange about the last vision" Ruka whispered._

"_Last vision?" Yusei repeated with a sharp breath._

"_Most people in Z-ONE don't understand what lies under my skin" Ruka replied. "But you seem to be similar; the truth is… I have come here before. This is a place in the realm of the Five Dragons; the Ancient Forest where the soul of Ancient Fairy Dragon resides"._

"_What?" Yusei breathed uneasily._

"_Lucciano told me this power was a gift from Zone" Ruka answered, cupping her hands over her chest, presumably where her heart beat calmly. "I can travel to the dimension where the Five Dragons, and possibly Zone, exist. I am like a bridge between our world and this place"._

"_I don't understand… why have you come here now?" Yusei inquired. "Why am I here with you?"_

"_You've never experienced a vision like this before?" Ruka questioned. "I believed you have the same power as me, but it appears not…"_

"_A vision?" Yusei gasped. Then it came back to him; the white scene he had experienced on top of the cliff. The strange shape in the centre of the pale void with the single blue eye staring at him through cracks in the mask. He lifted his head, finding the sky a glowing white, shrouding the edges of the leaves and branches waving high above their heads in the glowing light. "That's right… there was a vision"._

"_Huh?" Ruka sounded, lifting her head with surprise._

"_The vision of that thing…" Yusei murmured, watching his right palm. "But… it wasn't like this"._

_Ruka's eyes widened slightly "It can't be…"_

"_Ruka, why are we here?" Yusei inquired, setting his eyes firmly onto the girl. "There must be a reason, and there must be a way back"._

"_There is a way back" Ruka answered. "But I don't know why…"_

_Yusei picked himself up, pacing across the clearing towards the girl until there a short distance between them. Simultaneously, they peered towards the trees behind the girl, as though there was something behind them, hiding amongst them. Ruka's eyes widened when she realised that there was a feature she had never seen before in the forest. The base could be any distance, perhaps on the edge of the woodland, but there was a staircase, leading up into the white sky, the top obscured by the brightness, but others like the rigid ascent could be seen, leading Ruka to assume there would be five in all. One for each of the Dragons and their domains. But where did they lead?_

_As soon as that question floated through her mind, Ruka's eyebrows sunk against the tops of her sockets, coming up with a solution, a rough explanation. It was something she had been told was possible, although how likely was never discussed; it was an outside possibility that the staircases led to the divine plain of the Dragons' leader, the one who brought them together. Zone's world. But… there was still a great possibility that it could be another setting, somewhere on the road to finding Zone's existence. After all, Ruka was the bridge, Zone's avatar would be the only one to reach him; the fact that the staircases had appeared for the first time supported the idea that they could lead to the God's temple, at the same time, they seemed too accessible to her. She was well aware that, as the bridge, she couldn't be Zone's avatar._

_Her eyes travelled to Yusei, lingering in the corner of her vision; it felt like a dream to be sharing the secret world with someone else, but here he was; standing by side underneath the unusually bright sky, surrounded by the trees she had seen while communicating with the spirits of the other world._

"_Yusei…" she murmured. "When we get back to Z-ONE, I would rather you kept as much of this secret as possible"._

"_Why? Why do you ask something like that?" Yusei inquired._

"_This place is sacred, Lucciano bonded with Rua and myself in order to learn more about this place for the sake of his friends" Ruka answered. "He uses me, but it's for the good of people. But no-one else has ever seen this place; I wonder if your coming here will invoke a similar interest from Lucciano and his friends. I don't want you to be bothered by them in the same way"._

"_But…" Yusei whispered, clenching his raised right hand in front of his chest. "Placido already highlighted strange things about me; the headaches I suffered after leaving Satellite, passing out in the church. I'm not normal like others, but I'm not an outcast of humanity… am I?"_

"_Satellite?" Ruka gasped, her eyes shimmered with horror._

"_Ruka!" Rua's voice cried, piercing the glowing heavens above the two._

_Ruka lifted her head in the direction of the anguished cry, then dropped her sight to Yusei with a stern expression upon her face. "We might not be here much longer, so I'll have to make this quick" she said firmly. There are only supposed to be a few people with certain powers that can guide them here; I don't know what your power is, but you've got something special inside of you. Zone is the God of Destiny, He granted us these. We don't know why, but… something is happening. The wheel of fate is beginning to turn and it's likely you and I are going to be involved in whatever is coming. Zone may come, Rua may be drawn into everything, I don't know. But something is going to happen, please… be careful, Fudo Yusei…"_

_Yusei's eyes widened, he was shocked by the wisdom of the young girl, the knowledge she had of events to come, matching that of Lucciano's profession as a bishop under Zone's care. The world around the two began to brighten, and it was then that Yusei realised Ruka had uttered his surname, despite the fact that Rua had only passed on his first name. The young man winced as the light grew brighter, swallowing trees and kicking up gusts of wind; Ruka, on the other hand, remained standing amidst the storm. Yusei watched her with narrow eyes for as long as possible before the storm grew too strong and he was forced to abandon sight. _

* * *

><p>Yusei's body automatically shuddered and sucked in a breath violently, alerting Aki that he had returned from the strange catatonic state that had paralysed his and Ruka's bodies. Her shaking subsided, allowing his passage back to reality to run much smoother. Ruka blinked, erasing the darkness in her eyes and examined Yusei's face in the seconds that followed, despite the excited cries of her brother. Yusei's eyes brightened gradually and, as soon as he blinked, opened up as though nothing had happened. He pulled his hand back anxiously, allowing Ruka to withdraw easily, the girl nodded discreetly in the young man's direction, then turned to Lucciano and Rua, both with their wide eyes set onto her.<p>

"I'm sorry" she mumbled. "I didn't mean to cause trouble".

"Yusei, what was that?" Aki inquired, leaning over the boy's shoulder. "Do you do something strange every time you meet a girl?"

Yusei twisted his head, finding Aki's face not far from his own, pausing while allowing her raised voice to sink in and smiled somewhat sheepishly.

"I'm sorry" he replied simply.

"You had me worried" the magenta-haired woman sighed. "I don't socialise with many people, even in here, I'm still a bit anxious. Pulling that kind of stunt when I opened up to you isn't something that helps".

"I didn't intend to upset you, Izayoi" Yusei insisted calmly.

Aki withdrew, standing over him with her hands pressed against her hips and shaking her head as though she were dealing with children alone. Yusei smirked at her display and then turned back to the three children seated in front of him, Lucciano's single green eye locked onto him sharply while Rua leaned forward.

"What was that?" he asked. "Did Ruka take you on one of her visions?"

Yusei glanced at the sister. "I'm not entirely sure, it's kind of a blur".

Lucciano narrowed his eye, suspicious over the vague account, as though he was aware that the two had made an unofficial pact on the other side of the incident. He jumped from the concrete ring and stretched his back, folding his arms over his chest.

"Rua, Ruka, I'm heading back to the church" he announced, followed by centring his attention onto the young man bowed before them. "Yusei, you need to come by later so we can discuss where you and Jack are going to live while you're here".

"Of course" Yusei answered. He could see the disappointed glint in the bishop boy's eye, well aware that he was intending to learn what had happened between the two in detail.

Without another word, Lucciano turned on his heels and marched back towards the church, leaving Yusei, Ruka, Rua and Aki gathered at the centre of the district, the ticking crystal water behind the twins reflecting sides of them to make up for the halves of their faces it remained blind to.

* * *

><p><em>Answers are hidden. Souls of good and darkness approach. There is a mystery lurking in the corners of reality. Who bears the knowledge to open the eyes of the blind? "04-Nephilim".<em>


	4. Nephilim

**Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's - 05-Dragon**

by Yusei

_**Summary - **"AU. _Yusei and Jack, after years of searching, find the legendary Z-ONE, a utopia for all. However, there are other forces after the two and this paradise, ready to invade and spark an all-out war against the other world_"._

_**Disclaimer – **__I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's or any of the characters._

_**A/N – **I apologise for taking so much time to finish this chapter, but I recently had a spark of motivation to move on with this once again, hope you enjoy__. Please read and review._

* * *

><p>The desert seemed endless with the sand stretching towards the horizon, nothing to break the plain land. But he knew different; after all, this was his home. The towering white man staggered forward, moving as though his body was barely fazed by the scorching heat and burning sand grains. A hood was draped over his elaborate silver hair, decorated with crimson stripes running along the three central points, two hanging either side of his face. The man also bore wide shoulders, blue glass pressed into the white uniform in a deformed pattern resembling a mangled infinity symbol. The rest of his outfit was just was white as the upper half of the suit; wide yellow cuffs hung around his hands and black gloves pulled over claw-like fingers. A metal belt constricted his waist, connecting two hanging staircases of steel plates either side of him, dark lines coursed down his legs just as they did his arms. Just like the Bishops waiting ahead, his body was shielded from the direct sunlight by a large white cloak hanging over him, the hood pulled forward enough to obscure the emerald sphere pressed into his forehead. Dark scars ran under his eyes like engraved tear streams, his eyes as bloody as the outnumbered bangs.<p>

A faint breeze brushed past, picking up the tips of the man's robes and throwing them in the direction of the distant structure waiting below. Z-ONE was waiting. Aporia's eyes were fixed onto it, regardless of the grains of sand flying around. He had a purpose to fulfil, after all; he had been called back for a reason.

* * *

><p><strong>04-Nephilim<strong>

_The tunnel opened up into the large terminal, greeting the young Sherry and her guardian, the towering butler, Mizoguchi, onto the grounds of their alien escape route. The blonde girl eyed the building around her, anxious to say the least; her eyes shimmered fearfully and with a sense of loss. Even if her parents were alive, she was so far from home that it no longer mattered that their blood had been spilt; it was just a reminder that she could never return home. Her father's arms would never again embrace her warmly; her mother would never kiss her cheek and stroke her head, her slender fingers running through the golden locks she had inherited from the woman._

_With the gravity of her situation sinking in, chilled tears blossomed in Sherry's eyes, prompting the girl to raise a hand and wipe them away before the butler-turned-guardian could comment. The words he had offered her while they stood before the tunnel connecting the plane to the French terminal reverberated through her, remembering their pose in front of the gap, his large hand clenching her with a protective firmness, yet strangely gentle grasp at the same time._

"_Do not show weakness, ouja-sama" the man had whispered. "Tears of grief are a weakness that should be preserved until privacy. If you can suppress them, you bear the most powerful kind of strength there is"._

_Sherry quickly brushed away the tears, leaving little evidence of their existence, the only sign was the crushed puddles at the edge of her sockets. Mizoguchi's hand fell from her own, the tanned man's sharp eyes narrow with suspicion as he surveyed the lounge around them._

"_This is Japan, ouja-sama" he muttered. "Please be careful. There is a distasteful air about this building"._

_Sherry lifted her head, setting her eyes on the back of Mizoguchi's spiked head. The girl never had any time to inquire into the man's suspicious demeanour, the stutter of machine guns ripped through the peaceful air, squirting blood from the chests, arms and legs of victims, igniting the calm air into an uproar of shrill screams. Mizoguchi twisted his towering body to the girl in his company._

"_Ouja-sama" he growled roughly. "Run!"_

"_But…" Sherry squeaked in terror._

"_Do not fear, I will protect you" the muscular guardian whispered to the girl. "That is my duty. Your duty to your parents is to live"._

_Sherry shakily nodded in response to her mission and turned immediately. She darted a dozen frenzied steps, the cries and stamping of feet around her pushed her forward while her heart sobbed with guilt at leaving Mizoguchi behind. There were no steps afterwards when an explosion ripped through the terminal, launching Sherry forward amidst flames, smoke, wind and deathly screams. The girl crashed onto the ground, face-down, her body shivered with pain and horror._

_Slowly, her head rose, finding the scene of chaos around her; thick black smoke clogged the air and obscured many of the previously bright features of the building. Sunlight pouring in through the glass wall behind her was no more; shards of glass lying scattered showed no reflection. Blood and corpses, or even just pieces of bodies, were strewn across the floor, a small splash of crimson clinging to Sherry's left cheek. The girl shuddered, touching the damp substance; her eyes widened when it all hit her at once. Her neck snapped and threw her eyes around to the scene behind her, clouded in thick smog; the direction from which the blast had come from._

"_Mizoguchi!" she cried fearfully._

_The stamping of feet from deep within the smog hesitated. "Did you hear that? Sounds like there're still people alive"._

_Clacking of footfalls followed, each sending a new wave of panic flooding through the young girl's body. The sharp claps were joined shortly by the banging of guns and clicking of bullet cases tapping against the ground. Sherry's eyes grew wide and her hair more matted from the stress and horror. The girl scrambled deeper into the thick smoke on her hands and knees, trying to avoid the deadly temptation of watching over her shoulders; if she were to die, she'd rather die with a hollow chance of escaping lingering in her mind rather than aware that reality was ripping that faint hope apart._

_After a couple of moments, the bottom of the glass doors were visible, glass shards scattered across both sides, pressing themselves against Sherry's palms, a few scratching through the skin and tearing open her stockings. Tears flooded Sherry's eyes when she realised she was going to escape without any sign of Mizoguchi; she had been praying he would appear just like the night her parents were murdered and sweep her away in his arms, carrying her somewhere away from all the chaos. That wish went unfulfilled._

_The young survivor reached up for the door, her hands shredded, blood streaming across the palms and slipping down across her arms. With a weak push, the door swung open and fresh air filtered into the room, battling with the choking smoke. Sherry scrambled out the narrow window offered to her and managed to crawl outside, clutching her throat with a bloodied hand and gasped for clean air._

_She looked back, waiting tearfully for Mizoguchi to appear. The silhouettes that emerged through the smog weren't compatible with the man's large build and it became apparent to Sherry that if she was to survive, she would have to run for her own sake and learn of her guardian's fate at a later date. The girl picked herself up from the ground, her legs shuddered with terror and regret, throwing herself forward and across the tarmac world, ignoring the wailing sirens chasing the crime scene, the voices of distant officials racing in the opposite direction and towards the site of the attack. Tears streamed down Sherry's face, forcing her to close her eyes, hiccups of despair welled in her throat and slipped loose; her torment had begun long before and would continue for years after the devastating incident that tore apart any chance of a normal life. _

* * *

><p>José had been silent throughout the morning, waiting for the return of his colleagues and the latest squatters. Arrangements to lend them an apartment had been delayed by Yusei's peculiar condition; the three bishops had therefore agreed to house the duo in the church for the next couple of days while they awaited the return of their superior.<p>

Previously during the morning, Lucciano had departed from the building, excusing himself with the alibi that he was going to find Rua and Ruka; the children who had also come to the attention of the trio. The duo had come from the highest-ranked class from C-INF, the girl physically frail and the brother emotionally draining himself for her sake. Not long after the pair arrived, Ruka began to experience strange episodes of catatonia, though Rua reported these instances having happened previously. The girl reported sightings of elegant monsters and a lush forest under a glowing white sky. Those accounts were what had originally led the bishops to believe that she had been chosen as Zone's avatar.

The theory, however, was quickly quashed by Ruka's insistence that Zone was nowhere to be found on the other side of her visions, leaving the three back at square one. On the other hand, there was undeniably something different about the twins; what the factors separating them from others would have to develop overtime. They were no closer to learning the answer to their wonders. The man let out a heavy sigh, his beard waved briefly with the falling of his head and his eyes sliding closed afterwards, giving him a melancholic appearance.

Behind him, an equally large figure appeared, shoulders stretched out from his torso, arms hanging much further from his body than José's.

"It's not like you beat yourself up over something like this, José" the figure spoke with a nostalgic tone.

José's face transformed altogether and the aged man turned, his eyes widened with relief upon discovering that the man standing behind him was none other than Aporia.

"Old friend, you've come back" he gasped, taking a step towards the leader. "Why didn't you say something? We could have made preparations".

"I decided to come back a few days earlier after your message" Aporia answered with an amused smile. Even in his golden years, José was a fussy character; he wanted everything to be in order.

The bald man wrapped his hands around Aporia's, shaking it was an uncharacteristic glee about his movements, a drop of sweat built on Aporia's forehead, not entirely sure how to deal with the second-in-command's response. Automatically, he smirked calmly, permitting José to continue his grip.

"Oi, José" Lucciano's voice reverberated through the chambers, bouncing from the clear walls.

José and Aporia froze, twisting their necks in order to witness Lucciano charging into the room, coming to an unprepared stop upon finding two of his superiors in the place of one. The redheaded boy's mouth hung open in trepidation.

"A- Aporia, how are you doing, sir?" he asked shakily.

"It seems you've still yet to learn your manners" Aporia replied with a cocky smirk. "Glad to know at least my face sparks some discipline in you, Lucciano".

"Ah… Ahaha, I'm sorry" the boy giggled quietly. "I- I just meant to speak with José over something that just happened".

"What would that be?" José inquired, lifting his left eyebrow. "Has Placido done something?"

"No, no" Lucciano replied, waving his hands in front of him dismissively. "Actually, it's about Ruka".

"The twin, right?" Aporia asked for confirmation.

Lucciano answered with a series of sharp nods. "Yes sir" he added. "It's just... I met with her and Rua at the fountain. And Fudo Yusei…" at this point, he turned to Aporia, "I'm afraid you won't be familiar with him; anyway, he and Ruka introduced one another and then, they began to act strange. Like they were frozen. It was sort of like when Ruka travels to the Spirit World, only it was like Yusei had been dragged there with her".

"Fudo Yusei and Ruka?" José questioned, grasping his chin and its metallic plate thoughtfully.

"This Fudo Yusei sounds like an interesting character" Aporia murmured. "This name isn't familiar; could he be the individual you called me about, José?"

José averted his eyes, avoiding Aporia's gaze as it immediately fell onto him. The evasive reaction intrigued Aporia; it wasn't like José to shrink and keep information withheld. He was the greatest source of knowledge in all of Z-ONE, yet he appeared reluctant to respond, at least in front of Lucciano.

"José?" the man repeated calmly.

"Yeah, it's true" José sighed, bowing his head as if his hesitation had been a crime.

"I see" Aporia muttered. "Perhaps we should investigate this matter as soon as possible. If this Fudo Yusei truly does have something special about him, then there's going to be a reason he was brought here. I'd like to learn of that motive quickly. It's not often that we have such strange cases wander under our care and I don't want to bring any danger to the people who have sought refuge from a bitter world".

"Aporia, sir, if I must" José answered. "This boy, he seems frail. I have no idea of his past, but there are strong resemblances between his state and that of Ruka. I implore you, if you must tamper with the boy, please be careful. I don't know exactly what it is, but I've sensed something off about him, though I can't bring myself to believe he could be an agent for the City, his companion seems genuine and I don't want to suspect him of anything".

"They've touched you, José" Aporia uttered softly. "Though it's unlike you to feel compassion above your work, you are Zone's Knowledge, after all".

"I'm aware of that" José sighed. "But how many more days and years do I have? Will Zone grant me the honour of witnessing his form? No, that's wrong, that's selfish; I shouldn't ask for such things. Seeing Zone would require the prophecy beginning to spiral down its chaotic path; I cannot wish that on the world, or its people. Consider these babblings those of an aged man losing his mind, wanting to lecture the youngsters with stories of his youth".

"José, perhaps you should rest" Aporia said, laying one of his enormous hands onto José's wide shoulder. "I shall look into what has happened whilst I've been gone, Lucciano can assist me".

"Aporia… I'm sorry" Jose huffed disappointedly.

"Do not be" Aporia answered. "You've taken good care of the place while I've been gone; I appreciate that more than anything else".

"Then, I shall take my leave" José announced wearily.

Aporia rotated and retreated, opening up a path for José to pace down, the haggard man pacing slowly and grumbling to himself in frustration. Aporia and Lucciano exchanged nothing until the mountainous oaken doors grazed each other whilst closing, drawing the Archbishop to his minor apprentice.

"Lucciano, tell me, what has happened while I've been gone?" Aporia asked firmly.

Droplets of sweat ran down the body's forehead; despite Aporia's kind nature to the people, there was an air about him that continued to instil unease in the boy, even after their growing time as colleagues. Perhaps it was his rank, or the idea that he was technically Zone's avatar until the official one could be unearthed, but his heart quickened each time all the same.

"W- Well…"

* * *

><p>Bommer dropped down from the machine he called his own, decorated with black paint and spikes protruding in straight lines like soldiers across the body of his jet. An iron cow skull had been beneath the windows that gave him the best view of all the vehicles in the hanger. The large man folded his arms over his chest upon noticing Kiryu standing nearby, leaning against the wall casually like a delinquent who had deliberately been spotted somewhere he wasn't supposed to be.<p>

"Yo, Bommer" the icy-haired man chimed.

"Kiryu, what is it?" Bommer growled.

"I need to get smashed, want to come with?" Kiryu asked with a wide grin.

"I don't enjoy clogging my body with rubbish" Bommer scoffed. "Especially as that young woman appeared, it seems she has come for a particular reason. I don't wish to endanger my chances of becoming useful just so you can lick your wounds".

"What are you talking about?" Kiryu laughed. "I did great in my practice earlier".

"I'm not talking about that" Bommer replied coldly. "You know what I mean".

Kiryu's head sank, aware that his companion's thread extended well beyond just the day, not even referring to his failed attempt to woo Sherry LeBlanc, but much deeper. The very thread hanging loose from earlier. The two had known each other for approximately two years, around the length of time since the last Reverse, and yet, Bommer still knew next to nothing of Kiryu, except that his personality resembled that of a Jekyll/Hyde state. One moment, Kiryu could be pleasant, bumbling and overly-cheerful, the next he would devolve into cynical, spiteful and venomous. Ordinarily, Bommer wouldn't pry, but they were partners, he needed to know should Kiryu turn on the battlefield, just so he could find the triggers and avoid them.

"How about this?" the giant man suggested. "You tell me whilst getting yourself wasted".

Kiryu eyed his companion without any sign of either side of his personality overwhelming, as though he'd found middle ground between the two extremes. The look intrigued curiosity in Bommer, it was rare for Kiryu to be on the same wavelength as him, but it seemed as though that had become the case.

"The people brought in by Godwin were all scarred, weren't they?" the younger man questioned, eyeing the aircraft lined against each wall. "Even you, Bommer. But you act as though you've never been hurt by what happened to you in your past".

"Acting sore about losing my family will do nothing to me, but spawn more hatred and ill feelings" Bommer sighed, pressing his fist against armoured chest. "I do not wish to be consumed by bitter emotions; I've seen what it does to people".

"You're referring to me there" Kiryu spat. "I'm not some kind of demon, you know".

"I am not implying that you are" Bommer answered. "All I'm saying is that we hold different methods of dealing with our sorrow and hardship; you prefer to swing between two ends of personality, while I have done my best to lock away as much emotion as possible".

"You say that because you're fighting the force that destroyed your hometown" Kiryu scoffed.

"Which begged my question earlier; the same question I've been asking you for two years now, to which I've yet to receive an answer" Bommer argued. "If you despise Godwin and his government so much for what happened in Satellite, why do you fight for him?"

"Because it's fight for him or be killed by him" Kiryu scowled. "I won't die by that man's hands, even if it means killing my own people with my own hands. Besides, Yliaster has to bear some responsibility, rumour has it they're behind his coming to power. So essentially, they're the ones who bombed S-ZERO and they're the ones who destroyed everything. So they should equally pay. If Godwin wants to fight them, then I'll go under his command for now and exact my revenge on them, then he can pay for his sins".

The man's pale fist closed tighter, shivering with frustration and rising anger. Bommer watched the scene like an outside, astonished by his partner's thought process regarding revenge and how to attain it, differing greatly to his own. But it was as Kiryu said; Bommer's quest for vengeance was much simpler; only Yliaster had links to what happened to his hometown in Peru, destroyed in what was claimed to be an attack against the Nazca Lines, the fabled enemy of the Crimson Dragon occurring to the folktale of his ancestors, Godwin played no part in the incident. But he appeared and opened up a hand to the grief-stricken man, the narrow smirk on his face suggesting that his appearance was little more than taking advantage of a situation that was best left, but he offered a man blinded by sorrow a reason to continue living.

"_They say the Earthbound Gods were the Crimson Dragon's enemy; you live on their land, so you too become It's enemy. But they aren't yet dead; do you wish to fight with them?"_

Bommer's gaze towards the steel floor hardened, maybe Godwin was manipulating them all as Kiryu implied, perhaps he was playing on their past torments and tying strings around their limbs in order to attain what he had been after for so long. But no-one knew Godwin well; no-one knew his motive; why would Bommer's hometown have been destroyed shortly before he entered office? Why was Satellite bombed three times in the space of six years? Why did the people accept everything that happened as Godwin's utopia growing to bring eternal paradise to all, especially when there were so many dead and dying strewn across the targeted places? The man's fist clenched tighter, defeating Kiryu's grip with ease and his expression twitched irritably.

"Kiryu" he uttered lowly. "I take back what I said. I could do with a drink".

* * *

><p>Silence reigned in Godwin's office, despite the additional two figures in attendance. The Director tilted his body back in his large chair, the curved top squeaking whilst his temple touched the plush covering in a rare exhibition of relaxation. On the opposite side of the curved desk, Colonel Ushio and Mikage stood beside one another, highlighting the great difference in height between the two. Mikage's eyes flickered uncomfortably, it was rare for her to be called to Godwin's office without Jeager also present, and lowered her sights to the clipboard beneath her arms. It was agonising, waiting for the Director to speak or make some indication as to why she had been summoned, only to then stand in silence, seconds ticking by like minutes. She began to count the number of taps coming from her wrist.<p>

"I apologise for this" the Director spoke after Mikage reached thirty-four. "I was simply contemplating the risks of this assignment".

"Excuse me, sir?" Ushio inquired.

"Sherry LeBlanc. She is an admirable woman, I am glad to have her on our side" Godwin answered, straightening his back and shoulders. "I assume she has been dispatched, Mikage?"

"Yes, sir" Mikage replied quickly, her heart flinched at the fact the conversation sharply moved in her direction. "Reports state that LeBlanc-san has been made her move to leave C-INF in search of the target".

"Very well" Godwin murmured, apparently satisfied with the response. "Havilah is moving as planned".

A pang of guilt hit Mikage; Sherry was a young woman - younger than her - but she had seen so much more, been damaged as a result, scorned and hateful. It was strange to see someone younger than her hold such bitterness and dark desires. Her body shifted without her thinking, catching Ushio's eye and, in turn, Godwin's attention.

"Is there something else?" the Director questioned.

"Ah, forgive me" Mikage squeaked, blushing from embarrassment. Her body shuddered, torn between curiosity and order. "B- But I was just wondering, LeBlanc-san spoke as though she had met with you before, sir, I was just wondering if that is the case?"

Godwin's eyes slid closed and a heavy breath left through his nose.

"Director?" Ushio uttered uneasily.

"It is true" Godwin answered. The response surprised both watching the man. "I first encountered Sherry LeBlanc six years ago, not long following the first Reverse".

_Rain had soaked the streets of the city, but since then, the heavens had dealt with its sorrows and clouds lingered through the black skies. There were so stars, there were never any stars in the city; the lights from the ground pushed out any room for the glow of other suns. Those lights, however, were far away._

_The young blonde girl moving into her mid-late teens stood alone atop the tallest building in the darkened Daimon region, the watching the lights twinkling from a distance, their warmth unable to reach out to her. Her expression showed nothing but apathy; she'd given up, they had won. Ever since the outbreak of the civil war in France, her life had spiralled out of control, losing everyone she cared about, chased from her own home, her own country and into a strange land where she barely survived each day. No-one cared, everyone continued on as normal, ignorant of the young girl who staggered through the streets, starving, her stomach moaning with each hour that ran past because she hadn't managed to find a scrap of discarded food. Seeking help would do nothing; it would invite trouble and death after those who offered a hand to her. She didn't need help, she didn't want help. Or did she?_

_She'd become so confused after years of running and living alone, unsure if she could even trust other people. She didn't know what to think of anything anymore. So she peered over the edge, towards the street waiting a dozen stories below; no people, no vehicles, just emptiness. Somewhere the little French girl who escaped could be forgotten and left alone._

_Behind her, a shadow grew; the shaded figure of a man whose build matched that of Mizoguchi. "Do you really intend to let them defeat you? After everything your loved ones surrendered?"_

_Sherry's eyes slid closed. "I cannot fight back; all I am doing is prolonging the suffering of my family" she sighed. "They gave up everything, but I can't even get justice for them. I can't do anything to make their sacrifices meaningful"._

"_You can; take a breath" the man spoke._

_Sherry's expression flinched, flickering into frustration briefly and then settled again. She obeyed and inhaled deeper than usual, followed by a heavy breath out._

"_And the meaning behind their ends is complete"._

"_What are you saying?" Sherry growled._

"_The people you loved, they surrendered themselves for you - so that you could continue to live" the man continued. "If you concede to the harsh fate handed to you, then they died for nothing. They wanted you to fight; I can give you the means by which to continue that fight and take it to the enemy; the people who stole your family away"._

"_Are you saying you know who killed them?" Sherry asked, twisting her upper body sharply to find the pale grey man behind her._

"_You heard conspiracy theories that Psychics were behind the attack on your home" Godwin relayed. "I have reason to believe that the Psychics may have been in affiliation with a religious named Yliaster, whom I also pursue"._

"_So we have a common enemy" Sherry muttered._

"_It appears we do, young lady" Godwin answered. "Then, perhaps an alliance of our own is necessary. You have a choice now; you can end your life and become another meaningless name engraved in the list of Yliaster's victims, or you can take my hand and together, we can tear apart the fabricated world those people are trying to forge by erasing people like your parents"._

_Sherry gazed at the white hand that opened up to her; a chance to turn around everything. Maybe if there was a scrap of hope that Mizoguchi was alive, Godwin could have the power to reunite them. If there was any purpose to her birth and continuing to live, it was in the man. She'd have to trust him, if just to ever take a free breath._

Mikage gaped with the tale's close, the guilt of ignorance to Sherry's predicament grew; she felt worse for all the suffering the young woman had gone through. Underneath the clipboard, she rested her hand against her chest, eyes flickering with sorrow and sympathy. All in the corner of Ushio's eye, the man showed no emotion as the woman, but awaited his dismissal before he chose to speak again.

The meeting continued for a short time, reiterating the purpose and execution of Havilah's opening stages, including Sherry's search for Z-ONE. After half an hour, the doors opened and the two departed through them. Striding down the wide corridor, Ushio eyed Mikage once more, recalling her reaction to the tale of Godwin and Sherry's initial meeting.

"No-one else will have to suffer, that's why we're doing this" he said.

"Yes…" Mikage whispered. "But, I still feel terrible for LeBlanc-san. To think that such a young child had to go through so much torment, then even live on the streets of a foreign country when nobody cared. I feel horrible; my upbringing was fine, but she is one of too many people who suffer. I just wish that I could do something to make up all those hard times to her".

"Sherry LeBlanc doesn't want your pity" Ushio insisted. "But she may, in time, come to want a friend. I believe that you can do that, Mikage-san. You have a gentle heart that can accept anyone. Perhaps even, had events like the Reverse not occurred, you could have brought together people from areas like S-ZERO and C-INF. But, that's a different story, a different reality. The fact of the matter is, you know as much as I do that the people in Yliaster are nothing more than vile criminals; they steal the lives of people, they steal people themselves. Remember the twins who vanished?"

"But they were just children, they weren't the offspring of anyone important, just a rich couple" Mikage sighed. "There was no ransom or message from people responsible for their disappearance".

"The kids apparently left a note behind, stating that they were leaving of their own will" Ushio mumbled. "But really, how long can two kids like them survive in a cruel world like this? They must have been taken somewhere, the girl was frail, there's no way she could live for very long without some kind of help".

"Her brother was determined" Mikage said. "Maybe he found a way for the two to live out of the spotlight".

"But still, until they're found, the blame will fall on those secretive people" Ushio grumbled. "Even you have to admit that it's suspicious people keep vanishing, yet no-one from Z-ONE denies their part in each one".

"But there's still no proof" Mikage answered. "Z-ONE is a secretive place, apparently a paradise, their exact location is under wraps and I have the feeling that broadcasting a message would endanger that fact; I truly believe that they wish to remain cut off from the rest of the world. With the technology we have, it's possible that if they were to defend themselves, they would also expose themselves - something they're not prepared to do".

"And why's that?" Ushio asked, leaning towards the woman to indicate she was treading along the same train of thought as he.

"I don't believe these people are bad" Mikage insisted. "They just value lives more than we do; I don't know why Godwin carried out the Reverse six years ago, nor why they continued afterwards. But what you can't deny is that Z-ONE is the opposite of that; they wish to preserve life, not eliminate those deemed less worthy of living. Perhaps Godwin sees Z-ONE as a threat to his idea that C-INF is the only utopia man can achieve, because it already exists elsewhere. I don't know, I may be idealistic, I may be naïve, but something doesn't feel entirely right. Even the use of people like LeBlanc-san, people who have been hurt, it like opening up old wounds. It doesn't feel right".

Ushio sighed and tilted his head back, gazing at the strips of lights fixed into the ceiling above them. "That doesn't sounds so wrong - a perfect place, but…" he mumbled. "Maybe we're too cynical for that. Maybe that's why they're hiding. But I still have a duty to fulfil and that's what I'm going to do. When there's evidence Z-ONE is how you see it, then I'll believe it and throw down my rank and authority".

Mikage smiled at the man; his open-mindedness was a relief in comparison to the single-tracked mindset of those living in the City, people represented by figures like Jeager. There was hope of finding someone who could take a step back and examine the situation from afar like her rather than buying into the sole interpretation of Godwin's plans.

* * *

><p>The lights flickered a moment whilst waking and the door was closed before they were even stable. Rua sighed and twisted the small lock, sealing the two inside. Ruka's hands were nestled on her lap, remaining obediently in the wheelchair, seeming quiet and distant. Although the two had made it back without a problem, Rua picked up on his sister's solemn mood and moved closer, leaning over the nearest arm of her mobile chair and smiled at her.<p>

"Hey, Ruka, why don't we have some dinner?" he asked. "I'll make your favourite".

"If we're having something to eat, I want to help" Ruka mumbled. "You don't have to go to such lengths to try and make me feel better. Why don't we have your favourite for once, Rua?"

The brother shot a look of surprise, Ruka smiled gently at him, hollowly. He returned the look, a rather more genuine and uneasy smile, with the suspicious she was trying to lock him out of what was bothering her in order to protect him; it was a common practice the girl would undertake to spare him confusion and regret over not sharing her powers.

"Ruka, if something's bothering you, you've got to tell me" he said.

"I'm fine, Rua" Ruka answered with a shaking head. "Really. If anything, I'm better than fine. You found someone that you bonded with easily, that doesn't happen often. Normally, you shut people out and don't trust them, especially adults".

"Eh? You mean Yusei?" Rua asked. "Yeah, but he's cool, he's not a stuck-up man who thinks he knows best".

"You don't know him all that well though, do you?" Ruka commented with an amusement smile.

"Neither do you" Rua chuckled. His lighter demeanour shrank away quickly and his body paused whilst remembering the paralysed state the two had been in once they touched and his heart skipped a beat once starting up again. "Wait, Ruka, did you find out more about him when you two stopped? What happened? You've got to tell me, please".

"I'll explain after dinner" Ruka responded, waving her hand up and down dismissively. "Come on, or we won't eat until late and your stomach will moan until then".

Rua straightened himself, assuming she was trying to veer the conversation elsewhere, but knew his sister well enough to trust her. It was rare she'd avoid something meaning so much to him. With her space cleared, Ruka picked himself up from the wheelchair and balanced herself on her frail legs, wobbling to begin with.

"Don't push yourself" Rua insisted.

"Rua, we don't have this because I can't walk, it's just because my body gets tired easily" Ruka giggled. "I'm sure walking into the kitchen and helping you with those hamburgers isn't going to wear me out".

"Eh?" Rua sounded.

"That's what I want for dinner: hamburgers" Ruka answered, eyes glittering with happiness. "Your favourite is my favourite, Rua. Come on".

Rua was awestruck by his sister's decision to go through with the idea of having his favourite together, creating a newfound loophole by claiming it to be her favourite. He smirked at her and brushed the bottom of his nose with the back of his finger before jogging into the kitchen ahead of her and pulling open the fridge. Inside, the two had a decent supply of foods, although they were quickly diminishing. Rua reached in, pulling out the burgers wrapped in plastic and laid them onto the worktop. Ruka watched from the doorway, folding her arms over her stomach and smiling contently; although she possessed the powers to travel to the legendary plain of the God, she wanted nothing more than to experience an ordinary life, to live with Rua and have no pressures. Their parents were no longer an issue, they could do what they wanted now out of the strict regulations of life in the most influential part of C-INF. They had snatched freedom from the darkness and fled.

And while guilt occasionally grabbed her shoulder like a stalking shadow over the distress they had surely caused the people who brought them into the world, it was undeniable that the pair had shown no compassion over what happened during the Reverse, how they had played a part and needed to be taught a lesson. Rua had deduced there was no better way than to lose what was most important to them, just to experience the same pain as those on the island, and even then, it was only a fraction as they could continue living in luxury. The girl closed her eyes, envisioning the note they left behind, each writing a section in order to prove they had taken the decision to heart and ran away by their own accord.

_Mama, Papa._

_We're going to live somewhere else, because we don't want to be filled with hatred towards you or anyone else, but we can't deal with living in a place that hurts others. This is our decision, please don't think something bad has happened to us, no-one cares about two kids like us; we'll be fine. And don't worry either, we know how to live alone, we've had practice when you were working._

_We're sorry if this makes you sad, but it's something we have to do. We figured that if you wanted to hurt people in Satellite by taking away the things they cared about most and their way of living, we'd at least show you how much pain you're inflicting by leaving for a bit. We assume we're most important to you, so it's like making you feel the same. We don't hate you, we love you; that's why we're doing this. Please don't hate us and don't cry, we're fine. We're together, that's all we need._

_Rua & Ruka_

The note had been written on a sheet of paper folded into quarters and left on the coffee table, sitting alone until morning when the two would learn of their children's decision and no doubt panic, despite their reassuring words. Initially, the two had no idea where they were headed, it was going to be near impossible to continue life in the city once the search began, especially with Ruka moving in the wheelchair. The two had managed to get away before the campaign grew too much, sightings claimed they were heading towards the south of the City, but no-one managed to recapture them. Then the trouble started and salvation came in the form of Lucciano, who picked up on the duo's intentions and offered them a place in Z-ONE, then the trouble stopped.

The hamburgers began to fizzle and pop, Rua pressed down a spatula on top of the shivering meats with a smirk, glad that he could serve his sister. Ruka pulled open the fridge, removing leaves and tomatoes, laying the latter onto a chopping board and cutting through them with a knife, all observed by Rua in the corner of his sight.

"Don't forget the cheese" he chirped.

"I won't" Ruka giggled.

The two were continually a team; they'd been born together, grown together, left together, travelled together. Nothing was going to separate them; not even Ruka's lone gift and Rua's physical superiority. The pair spent the next minutes working together to complete their small meal, chatting about others living with them; Aki came up, a decision to visit the orphanage the next day. Rua carried the two plates to the table and set them down opposite one another, Ruka laying out cutlery either side of the plates and setting down mugs, one with milk, the other with cola. Rua grinned once he seated himself and quickly uttered his thanks before diving in, Ruka giggled at the display and proceeded more civilly. Even as twins, they had their opposites, things that drew them closer.

Within ten minutes, the plates were emptied, leaving nothing more than crumbs and remnants of ketchup on Rua's plate. He carried them to the bowl, tipping them in with the clattering silverware and Ruka laid the mugs beside the dip. Rua turned around and directed his sister to the sofa, despite her evident hope to wash up and seated her down. He dropped onto the cushion next to her and folded his legs, leaning forward towards her inquisitively like the listener of a story, captivated already by what he had heard.

"Alright, spill" he commanded. "What happened earlier with Yusei?"

"Rua, I…" Ruka uttered uncomfortably, shrinking between her shoulders.

"I won't say anything" Rua insisted. "But you both stopped like when you go to the Spirit World. Does Yusei have the same power as you?"

"I don't think he does" Ruka sighed. "In all honesty, I don't know why he was led into the world. But, at the same time, I think it might have been me. I started to experience it as I was reaching out to him, it might have been because I was inviting him in with my hand open like that. I've never reached out to anyone when it happened".

"Really?" Rua asked, blinking with surprise. "Then, next time, reach out to me. I want to go with you, Ruka. I want to be there with you and see what you see. I don't want you to be alone".

"Rua…" Ruka breathed, touched by her brother's desires and smiled back, lifting her hand with the smallest finger alone extended. "Alright, I promise I'll take you there one day, Rua".

Rua grinned with joy and lifted his own hand, wrapping his smallest finger around her, binding the two in the oath to travel together. His face brightened and glowed with excitement; for years he'd watched Ruka slip in and out of the distant world and go by her account alone, but never been granted the privilege of witnessing the place for himself. Even as a young child, when it first happened, he had to sit back and wait.

"_Ruka! Please… please don't leave me" the boy sobbed, thick tears streaming down his face like gushing rivers with no end in sight._

"_Rua, I won't go away again" the young Ruka whispered, wrapping her arms around his head and closing her eyes affectionately. "I won't leave you for so long again, if I go, it'll only be for a short time"._

"_No, I want you to stay with me" Rua protested, sobbing into her chest._

"_It's alright, I'll take you with me some time" Ruka whispered. "Then, we'll never be apart again. Okay?"_

"_Y- Yeah…"_

Rua tightened his finger coiling around Ruka's, affirming the unofficial promise they made so long ago, enforcing his desire with the new vow; two intertwined with the same wish to stay together, even in the strange other world. Ruka locked eyes with her brother and the two exchanged equally hopeful and content smiles.

* * *

><p>The sun was crawling back towards the sandy horizon, slipping behind the cliff that would lead to the lower level, where Z-ONE waited. The figure wrapped in a thick hooded robe staggered forward, lightless eyes fixed on the path ahead. A gust of wind rushed back, kicking up grains of sand and throwing them towards the face of the being, though it turned away swiftly, avoiding the stinging intrusion to its eyes. Then again, turning in the direction of its destination, lips locked against one another in an almost scowling manner to emphasise the determination coursing through their veins. The ragged, bland sheet covered the figures entire body, designed specifically for the purpose of travelling through the desert, and based on the rate of the sun's sinking, there was little chance they were going to make it to their destination before night. It was a difficult decision; to travel through the bitter night in the middle of nowhere and risk falling over the cliff or simply rest in the freezing place.<p>

The expression flickered, showing a moment of acrimony, a huff pushed out through the nostrils. The wind kicked at the robe, exposing the trainers the figure wore for footwear. The being proceeded forward another few steps, but forced to pause when the storm worsened. A grunt slipped out from its throat, and the sharp eyes squeezed shut. A pale hand emerged from the robe, grabbing the ends that hung together in front of the flat chest and grasped them, ensuring it wouldn't fly away and leave the body alone.

The sky was darkening; from orange and red to blue and black, travel would soon be impossible, rest was the only option. A rocky wall at the edge of the sand field would offer a cave. The figure pushed its body towards the resting place, crawling out of the storm, though not before one last peek in the direction they were headed from the mouth of the cavern. The tips of blue bangs waved at the top of the figure's vision defiantly, insisting they climb inside and sleep out the storm; hope would have to wait.

* * *

><p><em>The forces gather for war. The victims for peace hide. Gears of fate spin to restart a cycle of destruction. Damaged pieces of separate entities cannot make a single whole. "05-Covenant".<em>


End file.
